


What we lost in the ghost portal

by TheLonesomeWriter



Series: The Halfa family [1]
Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Blood and Gore, Can we just agree as a fandom on that?, Cannibalism, F/M, Gen, Gladiator Games, Heavy Plot, I REGRET NOTHING, I Tried, I just love the serie, I love him sooo much, Other, Phantom Planet - and I repeat - Phantom Planet DID NOT HAPPEN!, Psychological Trauma, Sam and Danny denying their feelings and all that shit, Slavery, Story continues two years after serie, Swearing, Violence, Vlad being a asshole, Will try and be faithful to the characters - seriously, everything else than Phantome Planet happen here, halfas - halfas everywhere, low quality battle banter - found out i suck at it, mention of religious taboos? If you love jesus - turn away now, mention of sexual themes, ther will be badger cereal, too many tags!, why do i hurt my babies like this?, you might not get my humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-20
Updated: 2016-12-27
Packaged: 2018-05-27 21:09:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 36
Words: 135,189
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6300502
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLonesomeWriter/pseuds/TheLonesomeWriter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Daniel, I need your help."<br/>Danny's life is turned upside down, when his archenemy and rival, Vlad Plasmius, returns after six months of silence.<br/>He has an offer and simple request. Danny has to help him rescue the fourth and unknown halfa from slavery in the unknown deeps of the ghost zone.<br/>But what's the catch?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. He wants the D(anny Phantom help)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Cait](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cait/gifts).



> First fic - be nice
> 
> I would like to dedicate this fic to my sister that told me fanfiction isn't an art and made fun of my life on tumblr - screw you! I hope you find this  
> also my fic is now dedicated to Cait, that always make this the work worth it

"Daniel, I need your help."  


That was probably the last words Danny ever expected to hear after all this time. Not because he didn't spent most of his time helping others and protect the city he called home, but if someone had come up to him and told him that Vlad Masters - _that_ Vlad Masters - his nemesis and rival, would ask him for his help today, he would had sucked them up in his thermos out of sheer blasphemy.  


It was a joke he wouldn’t even dream to laugh about.  


But it didn’t change that the man and halfa now stood in front of him with an outstretched hand.  


"And why would I do something so stupid again? Last time you asked me something like that, you brought a psycho weather ghost to my town and lost control of him – and I didn’t see any clouds on the weather cast this morning. Forget it fruitloop."  


All who had had a more honest relationship with the major of Amity park and had been given a glimpse behind his false gentleman demeanor, knew that the childish nickname could get him to see red.  


But the universe seemed to play Danny tricks today and just as unlikely as the fact that Plasmius should need his help with anything, he didn’t respond to the nickname as usually. He even smiled, like he had expected Danny’s answer even before he opened his mouth.  


It gave Danny the creeps. Something was totally wrong.  


"My dear boy, you haven’t even asked me about my venture," he said heartily and showed Danny an infamous vampire smile, "I have the feeling you're going to regret it if you don’t."  


There was no direct threat behind his words, only the promise that Danny would be left out of something important – and it piqued his curiosity to the utmost. Darn it!  


He knew it was a bad idea to play along on the halfas antics. Ever since their first meeting at the reunion, where the billionaire had hosted, all further collisions had ended with someone getting hurt and that someone had always turn out to be Danny in some way or another. He had beaten Vlad in many of his own schemes, but only managed it with the help of her friends and a large dose of pure luck.  


As a 14-year-old he had fully believed it was because of righteousness. That he had outsmarted the other halfa and been able to beat him in his own game, because he was the hero and Vlad the villain. But now that they had circled around each other for well two years, Danny knew better.  


Vlad was dangerous and he had played with Danny.  


He had actually believed his nemesis to have grown tired of testing him, since he hadn’t heard a single sound from him in over six months, but once again the billionaire had broken into his life and created total chaos. You could twist an arm three times on Danny’s back, without ever hearing him confess it, but the truth was… he feared Plasmius, more than anything else.  


Even Vlad’s ghost form seemed to have got more chaotic. His white tunic had change to a dep red color, with matching black cape and boots. Danny didn’t know if the other halfa always had been this intimidating to stand before, or if he just got better at reading others ghost signature. 

Danny believed his own to have grown in strength as well and just like the other, he had upgraded his ghost form.  


All great ghosts seemed to wear a cape of some sort, so he had taken the liking to the old timekeeper he looked up to as a grandfather, and acquired a white cloak. With a slender ghost-gun at his side and the thermos in a shoulder holster, he felt allot more prepared than he had been two years before. But none of it could help him in this sticky situation.  


While Danny had grown out of his silly hero-complex and come to understand that the world was more than just black and white spots, Vlad on the other hand had seemed to becoming more and more twisted. One plot turned out more sadistic than the first and people had been seriously injured. 

Vlad seemed entirely to have forgotten his original goal and now focused his entire existence on shaping Danny after his delusional head. 

Make no mistake, Danny was more than grateful that Vlad had given up on trying to seduce his mother and kill his father, but ever since the failed clone project, something seemed to have gone wrong in the fruitloop’s head and if that something had been a real-life switch, it was sure to have a label named ‘Phantom’ on it.  


As Plasmius stood there on the building's roof, you could see a new scheme was at stake. If the confident smile and vicious gleam in the red eyes was anything to go out from alone.  


A voice told Danny it was time to run away before Vlad did him harm, or wound him deeper into his net. The voice sounded surprisingly a lot like Sam Manson and it took him a moment to remember he had both her and Tucker Foley with him in the earplugs.  


_"Danny ignore him and get the hell out of there!"_ Sam encourage in the left earplug, while Tucker broke through on the left, as a co-commentator for what had to be a-day-in-Danny-Fenton-teenage-life.  


_"Yeah dude, we all know how it ends - he pulls you through some sick plot, comes up with a long speech about how the two are not so different and all that - break contact before he gives you cat hairs or something else contagious."_  


Tucker still haven’t recovered from the fact that Vlad Masters had follow Danny’s advice about acquired a cat and kept it secret from them over the years. Danny only knew it because Valerie had gossiped. Quite scandalous.  


Danny was still curious, but they were right of course - and what was friends for, if not to make sure you didn’t get murdered by an unbalanced middle-aged half-ghost nemesis?  


"The only thing I regret is if I stick around here much longer in your pitiful company and become infected with lonely-cat-man syndrome - see you not!"  


He hurried to fly away with his ghost-tail, before Vlad could punish him for the lonely cat-man remark, but it still seemed like the universe was punishing him. Plasmius was the fastest and had catched Danny’s tail in a tight grip. 

Danny had become a lot faster and advanced since he got his power as a fourteen, but no matter how strong or how much control he got over his powers, he never quite seemed to being able to get up on the same level as the other half-ghost. 

Plasmius pulled him down to an eye level, as easy as nothing (and still looked down at Danny, despite his growing height) and smiled in a way that was anything but friendly.  


"My, my, Daniel, if I didn’t know any better, I would say you were scared?" he teased and held the struggling teenager with a secure grip in Danny’s hazmat-suit. Danny tried to escape with intangibility, but Vlad did just the same and his laughter told Danny that he could do this all day.  


Danny ignored his friends in the headset and sent Vlad a furious gaze, "fine, just spit it out! Geez!"  


"Still no manners I see, oh well, I was just going to ask if you would escort me to meet another ghost hybrid."  


Danny stopped struggling immediately and overheard the others gasp in his earplugs, "wait, you know where Dani is!?"  


Plasmius released him now that he had Danny's attention. He sounded indignant, "the little failed project? Oh no, my boy. That little incident is still on the loos two state from here. No, this hybrid is quite the different, you see. She's in a dire situation and needs a little help. What would be a better rescue team, than the other two ghost hybrids in existence? "  


Danny was flabbergasted. Another halfa? And a _her?_ Vlad folded his hands behind his back and looked expectantly at him. Danny wasn’t going anywhere now.  


Tucker was the first to recover from the mind blow and whispered marveled, _"Dude ... I think he's telling the truth."_  


_"And how can you tell?"_ Sam asked displeased. Everything that smelled the least of Vlad Masters, would always be on her list of suspicious items. It didn’t help either that the billionaire almost had her burned as a witch, in a medieval setting.  


_"I mean ... why would he tell such an obvious lie, if it wasn’t true?"_  


Danny could understand that logic. Vlad was perhaps crazy, but there were easier ways to catch Danny's attention than a complex lies. Moreover, Vlad never lied to him without putting a half-truth in somewhere. He was just that kind of guy.  


"I will give you the time to think about my offer, my boy. If you inherited just an ounce of your mother’s intelligence, I suspect to hear from you soon – ta ta!" Vlad swirled his cap and teleported in a cloud of green ectoplasm.  


Danny headed back to school. It was lunch time anyway.

-

Unknown to both the halfa’s and the rest of this dimension (except from maybe Danny, since he always knew he was being watch closely) the ancient ghost, Clockwork, twilled his staff, observing his protégé. 

Clockwork knew that the Observants would find out about this sooner or later, but if he played his little pieces correct, it wouldn’t be before the matter would be fare out of their reach. 

He had high hopes for this dimension and congratulated himself for the third time that day, that he had been outgoing enough to take over this dimension. It was not unusual for him to take care of several alternate dimensions where the young halfa flourished. 

Clockwork had just been at a conference to meet all the other Clockworks from the countless other dimensions beside his own. It was always an interesting experience to meet his alternate self’s. Everyone had their own dimensions to observe and each had their own incredible sights to tell. 

A female Clockwork had mention a dimension where everything was the same as most standard dimensions, besides Danny and all his fellows had the opposite gender. Another Clockwork was the observer of a dimension where Danny managed a restaurant for both humans and ghosts, which was both funny and scandalous. 

A third Clockwork had observed a dimension where everything was the same, except that everyone in Danny's life worked in a coffee-shop.  


The list could go on.  


The most common dimension where everyone's favorite halfa existed, was the same as the one Clockwork owned. A dimension in which Danny was a self-proclaimed superhero and protected his hometown from the ghosts that might threaten it. 

Clockwork’s version had until some years ago been immensely popular, but since this Danny had saved his world from the Disasteroid and had become a world famous superhero, the other Clockworks had lost interest in it and Clockwork had to admit it had lost its charm. 

He could only hope that Danny would do something interesting in the future - and since the old ghost didn’t felt like asking the Observants for permission and take a look at the future on this one, he just had to wait and see what happens. It gave him more time to observe his two other dimensions. 

He had acquired them from another two Clockworks at a similar conference, where it was normal that dimensions often changed hands. This happened mostly when a Timekeeper died or had too many dimensions to observe at once and had to have them taken of his hands, in order to attend to his most favored once.  


The most desirable dimensions were those where the Observants had ceased to exist. The conferences were held by those Clockworks so the Observants couldn’t prevent the time-ghosts in meeting and conspire against them. All Clockworks dreamed of living in such a dimension and it would be a lie to say Clockwork didn’t envy his more fortunate colleges to the core.  


One of the Observant-less Clockworks lived in a dimension where young Phantom had been declared the king of the ghost zone and conquered worlds. A very entertaining dimension without many limitations. 

Many Clockworks envied this timekeeper – now wizard and knight of the Phantom court.  


Not that all dimensions didn’t had its qualities. Clockwork had just seen one where Danny seemed to be a siren, side by side with one where he was a demon and another again, where he was a jinni. There was even a third one, where the halfa had become one of the Clockworks novice and helped him to control time. 

Clockwork haven’t been able to get a glimpse of this Danny at the conference, but many had talked about it. 

Two other dimensions had been the meetings major topic this time. They were two very different dimensions to. Danny was here seen as a ghost from the 1950s and walked around as the towns gravekeeper.  


The boy looked so vulnerable, as he sat with back-combed jet hair and cigarette in the corner of the mouth, resting on his family tombstones. All Clockworks was following it, as if it was the season's soap-opera. 

The second dimension was one no timekeepers fully could understand, not even the Clockwork who own it. 

Everything was the same as Clockwork’s own, except that this Danny Phantom wasn't a real existence, but a mere cartoon character in a show for children and young people. The entire dimension was a huge mess and just to make it worse, was the mention that it had been on a hiatus for nearly a decade.  


The only thing all Clockwork could say to have in common, was their own existence and common interest of Danny Phantom. Although most of the ancient ghosts preferred to kept to themselves and tried not to upset the world balance, most of them couldn’t stop themselves from tampering with their dimensions and timelines. 

Clockwork had done the same when he prevented his Danny in cheating at his C.A.T test and made himself known to the boy. Others had made themselves the halfa’s spirit guide or teacher and a simplified or two had gone so far as to commit a romantic relationship with Phantom.  


Other Clockworks had gone similar roads and Clockwork himself had been quite surprised to meet at least ten of his companions, who had a been in a relationship with the first halfa, Vlad Masters.  


A completely different Clockwork had gone along with the ghost Dan Phantom, or Dark Phantom, as he liked to be named. Clockwork still contained his thermos deep in his lair, only communicating with the mad ghost when he was bored and found a little fun in shaking it, to the other ghosts great ire. 

He didn’t know if he would want to risk a relationship with the psychotic ghost, since the largest part of the deceased timekeepers had fallen by the hands of that very same ghost, but maybe...  


A collection of murmuring voices alarmed the old ghost that he had guests - or tormentors, in his own mind - and turned to the group of Observants, who came into his lair, like they owned the god damn place. 

"Observants," he greeted without further joy in his voice and switched to his child form. The many gears and chimes rang rhythmically over them and he moved to them, "what caused this sudden unexpected arrival?"  


Although their faces consisted of only a single eye where their heads should have been, it was obvious they did not find his sarcasm amusing.  


"Enough of this, Clockwork. We know you left this dimension again. You have conspired against us with your fellow ghost selves."  


The now old Clockwork chortled dryly with a gentle voice that was his trademark in any form, "to meet with old friends and compare favorite dimensions and timelines, is hardly a threat to your existence. But if I had known you would miss my person so much, I would have informed you of my 30 seconds of departure."  


The Observants scowled (which was actually an impressing performance, since the liquid eyes in their head containers where the only facial features they owned) and several of them turned to the same dimension as himself.  


"You have acquired a new dimension. This one is different."  


"Yes," the timekeeper sighed quietly and was in his grown form again, "the Clockwork that used to observe it had too many dimensions to keep track of and needed a new protector for it. It is very similar to my own two, but differs with a simple discovery. A fourth halfa."  


"She must be destroyed," they said in unison, but Clockwork stopped them with a raised hand, "no. Not destroyed, but observed. She has existed in other dimensions and timelines, both as human and half-ghost, but this is the last known one where she as a halfa are still lives. I have high hopes for this dimension. "  


"She could ruin the balance between the ghost zone and the human world. Just like the other two."  


"Or she could be our messing link," he said gravely, stroking his white beard, "I like to take a chance on this one. If it gets out of hand, I could always interfere?"  


They sent him an angry look and he chuckled quietly, " _again_ , yes. But do not worry, this will hardly affect your oh so beloved balance. It's just another dimension of countless others."  


"You should watch out, timekeeper," they warned in dim voices, "or you would soon become the first Clockwork to be decorates with two scars on his face and core."

-

Sam and Tucker waited for him in the cafeteria. Usually he would find them in a hasty discussion, between a vegan and meat-lover school menu, but nothing seemed to be quite the same today.  


They barely waited for him to changed back to human form and sneak back into their regular table, before they started pestering him with questions. Danny removed the headset when they almost ruptured his eardrums, "microphones, guys!"  


"Danny it’s a trick," Sam said, ignoring his antics, "this is just another one of Plasmius sick games!"  


"I know, I know," Danny whispered, trying to get the others to keep low with him, "but...what if there more to it? What if it’s true?"  


Tucker seamed to understand he was the one to stand opponent to Sam’s opinion in this case and swallowed his lasagna before starting, "Danny could be right, Sam. What if this halfa is in danger? I mean think about it - what if it’s the guys in white that’s captured her or someone found out about her secret? It would not only be the right thing to help another halfa in need, and more important, if her secret get out, Danny’s own life could be in danger. Imagine - guys in white trained to sniff out halfa’s? We’ll be screwed."  


Danny felt cold sweat on his back and tried stopping the images Tuckers words created in his gory mind, "that's actually a nice point, Tuck."  


Tucker smiled proud, " I have my moments," before he poured extra meat sauce over his meal and got a disgusted glare from Sam and her tofu rolls.  


"Yeah that’s logic and all, but you forget we only know about it from Danny’s nemesis. You know? Your nemesis? The same man that tried murder your father and molest your mother countless times?"  


Tucker poked Danny with his fork, "not to mention trying to make you his evil son," Tucker helped. Forgetting he was supposed to keep up the opposite side of this argument. Sam gave the geek an approving nod.  


"That’s right. The same man who put you and the rest of the town in danger, just for the sake of his own selfish needs. Remember when he ran for mayor, because of those harmless pranks of yours? Or when he gave Valerie all those ghost-weapons just to torment you? Or what about that time he released Vortex, so he could control the weather? And let’s not forget about that time he attempted to steal your parents ghost-portal, because he blew up his own? - and that’s just when you were fourteen!" she sighed and took a bit of her own plate. 

Danny lost his appetite long ago and pushed his food around his plate. Sam must have brought it, because it was mostly a salad. He should probably be more thankful he was having a friend with infinite cash on her black nail hands.  


He had gotten the ghost invasion under control, now when he had become too strong for even Skulker to challenge and marked Amity park as his ghost-territory. An old rule in ghost society he hadn’t been aware of before he visits Ghost writer’s library and got a better understanding of ghost behavior. 

No ghost could enter his territory without his permission and if they did anyway, they had to challenge and fight him for it, before they could do anything else. After Danny turned sixteen, the only one that still dared challenge him for real was Plasmius and Danny suspected it was just because Vlad wanted to keep a close eye on him and show of his powers. 

He didn’t even challenge Danny right! He just showed up out of nothing and ended up winning the exhausting fights, before choking Danny to unconsciousness and leave him in his room with an evil laughter. It was incredible annoying.  


And Sam was right, those schemes was only the start. Before Vlad left for half a year without a single word and left a duplicate as major, the older halfa had tried getting Danny to join him by kidnapping his friends and sister. 

After that he had sent a bunch of advanced ghost hunters at Danny throat, for the sake of 'training him' (it actually had, but that was not the point. Nobody liked the Masters Blaster) after that Vlad had tried to make Danny evil, by fusing the shards from freak-show’s ruined staff, into Danny head - he had been saved from himself, but not without a couple of people getting seriously hurt in the process. 

Danny still had nightmares about it. 

More twisted schemes from Vlad’s part, had been turning Casper high into an arena of hungry ghosts and screaming student, by accident. They had erased everybody’s memory of it, with help from Desiree, but it havened been pretty.

Neither had that time when Vlad had tried to steal Dark Phantoms thermos and release him, so Danny’s darker future self could become his apprentice. 

They only got out of that one with Clockworks help. The timekeeper had teleported them all to his tower and Danny had been forced to explain to Vlad, how Dark Phantom was created and just to make it more traumatizing and embarrassing, Clockwork had showed Vlad all the other time tampering, Danny had done on his screens. 

It was actually after that Vlad had disappeared and stayed away for what had been half a year, Danny thought to himself. 

But now Vlad Plasmius was back.  


Danny felt the old anxiety and anger return.  


"Arg! Can’t he just accept Amity Park is my ghost-territory and stick to his own? He doesn’t see me crash into Wisconsin and disrupt his area!"  


"Not unless you are admitted to Wisconsin college," Sam warned him and Danny sighed heavily, "I know. The fruitloop still thinks I chose that college because of him. It would be incredible sad, if he wasn’t such a pain in the ass. "  


"Language, Fenton," Mr. Lancer corrected as he walked down the tables and Danny sighed, "he’s even influencing my teachers! Next thing I know; dad is gonna start swearing in pastries to."  


Tucker laughed at that picture, "well that would be a very Vlad-ish thing to do."  


"Since when did that become a word?" Sam asked.  


"Since Vlad started sending Danny and Jazz home knitted sweaters for Christmas. Jack started saying it and everybody knows that the man’s slang lingers."  


They finish their lunch - or rather Tucker did, Danny haven’t touched a bite, and Sam was to disgusted with Tuckers three-types-of-meat-lasagna, to finish hers.  


Since Danny got the town under control, he got more time of his hand to focus on school and as his friends expected, his grades raised significant. His parents had been so proud of him. They even stopped asking him where he disappeared to all the time and even prolonged his curfew. 

Danny’s life almost seemed normal now, if you took his ghost powers out of the equation of course.  


That wasn’t the only thing that had changed. When the group of friends past the glass doors on their way to class, Danny lingered at their reflection. Sam seemed to be the one that changed the most.  


She had let her hair grow to her shoulders and changed her short skirts to tight black pants, that made most people turn around when she passed them on the street. She kept the goth style, but dressed more stylish now, even though Pamela Manson would go very far to defend that a nose-ring wasn’t very stylish on her daughter. 

Her mother got harder on her, but Sam had always been a rebellious soul and fought back just as furious for her lifestyle of dark poetry, black wardrobe and pircings. Tucker look almost the same, but he and Danny had both gained a little more muscles from ghost fighting and even though Tucker wasn’t as firm and toned as Danny, he looked good. 

He was still a huge nerd, without luck in the ladies’ apartment, but he had built up a lot of self-worth and stopped throwing himself at everything that smelled like flowers. He started focusing more on his talents and got incredible good with his technical skills and become Danny personal ghost-weapon expert. He even dropt the red beret and let his hair grow out to short dreadlocks. 

Danny himself had got high enough to be looking down on Sam, even with those high-heeled booths she wore now and his growing spurt seemed to have its own life now. 

Even Dash had got intimidated, although he properly never say it out laud. The bully’s moved on from them and started hunting the freshmen instead. Danny felt bad for them. They would soon find out that the school lockers could fit four scrawny geeks, if you pushed hard enough.  


Sam caught his eyes in the reflection and Danny stopped playing with the engraved class ring in his pocket. He still had feelings for her in a way and it was hard only seeing her as a friend, when she only got more beautiful with time. Soon they would move away to college and Danny often feared that he would lose them both, no matter how many adventures they had had together in the past. 

Sam looked at him with a worried expression and forced him out of his gloomy thoughts, with a hand on his shoulder, “you’re not considering it, are you?”  


Danny almost forgot about Vlad and his offer, “I…I don’t know, Sam.”  


“Danny, seriously, it smells like a trap – like when you told us about that DALV mother-son science symposium in Florida, you and your mother attended and it turned out to be Vlad and a plane without a pilot? – and this one is an offer from Vlad’s mouth, nonetheless!”  


“Sam’s right,” Tucker said with a thoughtful expression, “but how about this? – we come with you.”  


Danny started turning it down, but Sam seemed hook on the idea, “I like that. Vlad wants you to come alone with him, but we could use some of those invisible-force suits Tucker have been working on. That way we can check this halfa out – if she exists – and still be there if it turns out to be a trap.”  


Danny caught himself touching the ring again, “you sure? It could be dangerous, guys.”  


Sam snorted, “when haven’t it been dangerous, Danny?”  


“Yeah,” Tucker retorted with a glee, “and since this is a mission with a damsel in distress, I’m kind of assigned to this mission.”

Sam rolled her eyes. Danny smiled, maybe he had been too fast saying Tucker had grown out of the women hunting habits. Some things just never change.


	2. New phone who dis?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys - I'm back!  
> The fic is working out nicely and haven't interfere with my studies or social life, so I guess thats good  
> I will try come up with a new chapter for every two weeks, maybe in one and a half - but we'll see.  
> My sister has a suspicion that I'm making a fic, but haven't found it or read it yet  
> She just plain despises fanfiction - what a hater  
> This chapter is dedicated to all you people that can't come up with a decent plot and lose battery on there phone, faster than a vegetarian can start a healthy food debate  
> enjoy - and feedback is always appreciated  
> 
> 
> * * *

It was after school when Danny found himself in the process of searching through his phone, with his friends following him closely behind on the sidewalk. Giving him space to make the call, without exposing themselves.

The number he was looking for in his inventory was a number he had vowed never to use, but nonetheless he sought for it now with a determined face.

He also promised himself to part with the phone, but like so many other promises to himself, Danny always tent to forget them or come up with an excuse not to keep them.

He hadn’t forgotten why he wanted to blow up the phone to smithereens with an ecto-ray, actually the little technological marvel reminded him every day about it, just by its existence. 

It had been a gift from Vlad (forced more than received) and like everything else about the man it was stylish, impossible to scratch and of course the latest model. Danny had woken up by one of their annual matches and found it in his right pocket.

And not only that, Vlad had also provided it with his personal number like some love-struck stalker. 

Danny winced. Creep. 

It was the day after the laboratory accident, where Vlad had snooped around in the Fenton basement and Danny, in an attempt to sneak up on him and win a quick battle, had pushed the Fenton Ghost catcher down on the unsuspecting half-ghost by accident. 

The result had been horrifying.

Not only was a loose Plasmius without its human side dangerous, he had been an uncontrollable monster. While Plasmius had stormed Amity Park with his madness, the human Vlad had woken up from the blow with an irresistible urge to bake cookies and knitting sweaters.

While the friendly billionaire had been planted in front of a Packer game on the television, Danny had started a prolonged hunt for Plasmius, who seemed obsessed by hunting Danny’s parents down. 

Danny and his friends had caught him with the thermos by chance, since Plasmius without Vlad, seemed to had forgotten all about Danny as a threat. 

As Danny had expected, the recovered Vlad Plasmius had been everything but thankful that they had rejoined him and his ghost again. 

If Danny had to be honest, it might have just been easier to keep the friendlier human Vlad as he was and give the thermos with Plasmius to Clockwork, so he could share a nice little spot with Danny’s own problem child, Dark Phantom.

But once again Danny’s morality won over reason and they let Vlad return home as half-ghost.

Danny looked angrily down on the phone.

He had been ready to send the mobile to technology heaven, but reason had stopped him. He had lost his old phone in a fight with Skulker and he really really really needed a new one.

And to be honest, it was easier for him to know when Vlad called and ignore the call, than having to stare suspiciously at the house phone and wondering if it was him.

His father would always force him to take the phone if he had found his college-mate at the other end.

The mobile gave more benefits than problems, so Danny could live with that it had come from his nemesis. Tucker had analyzed it for hidden traps, brainwashing devises and other unseen gadgets, but only found a GPS, which they removed and destroyed.

His thumb hovered for a moment over Vlad’s number before he gave a damn and started dialing.

 _"Vlad masters speaking,”_ said a pompous voice in the other end. Danny glared. Like he didn’t know who was calling him. He probably named Danny ‘Badger’ or something stupid in his inventory. Danny had changed Vlad’s contact name to ‘Fruitloop’ just for old times’ sake.

“It’s me.”

_“Ah, Daniel how lovely. Come to a conclusion?”_

Danny tightened his grip on the mobile. They both knew the answer to that question and it felt like a defeat for Danny, "quit sounding so smock, Plasmius. I'm in. "

 _"Excellent, badger. I knew you would come to your senses,”_ he said in a fatherly voice that made the raven-haired teens insides boil, _“I meet you outside my ghost portal tomorrow at 08:40 and since it’s a weekend, fell free to bring Mr. Foley and Miss. Manson, they have my invitation as well.”_

Danny stopped on the sidewalk, Vlad wanted him to bring his backup? Tucker and Sam looked at him, when he put the phone on speaker. There was no reason to keep them out of the conversation anymore.

“Why?” he sneered, before thinking.

_“Don’t be so dramatic, Daniel. We both know they would be following with or without my permission – kids these days are so rude, don’t you think? And we’ll be needing Mr. Foley’s talent if I’m not mistaken. Samantha can come as the boy’s surplus. Be there on time, Daniel.”_

Masters ended the call before Danny could tell the man a thing or two and he stared down on the phone like it was a poisonous snake, “whatever fruitloop.”

-

Due to another lost attempt to surpass the older halfa, Sam had called to a crisis meeting and they settled in her goth-infested room to comb the threads out.

Pamela Manson gave both boys a cautionary glance and Sam riled her mother further by slamming the door. They made inappropriate sounds just to titillate the housewife, when they found out she was listening by the door and laughed like hyenas when the woman had stormed off in rage.

Danny opened a soda from one of Sam's cashless vending machines and threw a mountain-drew over to Tucker in the deckchair and an organic bottle of water to Sam, who had claimed the bed for herself.

"So what if he let Danny bring us along? Doesn’t it just make things easier for us? "

"The whole _problem_ ," Sam snapped and almost destroyed the lid of her bottle with her teeth, "it’s too easy. Usually he tries to get Danny in a corner or kidnaps him to places, where we can’t reach him and now he invites us? Something stinks. "

Danny sat down on the bed beside her, "don’t you think I know that? But maybe he does it just to make it easier for himself. Everybody knows you two would come after me, seen or unseen. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out I bring backup. "

"Hey! You make us sound like your sidekicks," came it from Tucker and Danny grinned, "you are my side- _geek_ , Tucker, she's my side- _kick_."

Sam illustrated his point with a playful kick, that toppled Danny of her bed, "am I really the only one who sees the problem in all this?"

Danny showed up behind the bed, "what problem?"

Sam looked at them with a serious face, "Plasmius need our help. Why would he need our help? Or more importantly, why would he reveal a third halfa’s existence to you? -"

" _Fourth,_ " Danny and tucker corrected, "don’t forget Dani."

Sam ignored them, "fine! _Fourth_ halfa then. But honestly – wouldn’t it be wiser for him to keep this a secret for you and keep this new halfa to himself? What's the point of taking you in on the discovery? "

Danny and Tucker looked at her, surprised, "you're right," Danny said, "it’s actually a bit weird."

Vlad was usually not the type who shared information and wouldn’t it be more benefitting for him to take a new halfa under his wing without anyone's knowledge? He could shape this new halfa without other interfering and getting the evil apprentice he had always wanted. 

But he wanted Danny to know about it.

Vlad wasn’t stupid.

He should know Danny would prevent Vlad from manipulating the unsuspecting halfa and turn her against Vlad. Why make Danny aware of her? What was there to gain for the older halfa?

"Maybe he really needs our help to save her?" he answered thoughtfully and Tucker and Sam seemed to consider it.

"It could be it. She must be in some serious shit, since not even Plasmius can get her out of it alone. "

They all let that sink into mind. Danny drove a tired hand through his black tresses "well, at least we know Dani is okay."

-

Dani flew across Indianapolis, without the knowledge of her friends' concern for her back in Amity Park. The wind lifted her sidebangs when she looked down at the long streams of people who walked down the street in the light snow.

Dani had acquired a thick jacket from a container back in Illinois, as the weather got colder and even though it was old and at least five sizes too big, it was in one piece and served its purpose. Dani knew nothing of her ice abilities yet, but had like Danny, noticed that she felt the cold long before everyone else. 

To her great surprise and joy, the jacket would stay a permanent part of her ghost form if she wore it while she was a ghost. It disappeared when she returned to her human form, but she had it covered with another jacket there, so now she could keep a jacket in both forms and stay warm permanently.

She found the perfect place to take a break and stopped at the corner of a roof that seems to be a part of an office building. A map that had been folded incorrectly too many times and gotten the corners worn white, was pulled out from one of the jackets deep pockets and Dani sat down.

Flying was a lot easier than sneaking onboard buses and trains - and a whole lot safe, but she was quickly driven tired and had to stop the journey to rest. It irritated her that she hadn’t come further on the map, but there was nothing to do about it. If she was going to New York, it was on the wind.

The many months on the run had left her without a real purpose, but this felt right for a change.

She couldn’t quite tell why New York had come to mind. Maybe it was because of the comic books she had found in Danny's room and taken a liking to? Just like the younger Danny Phantom, she had developed a hero complex and everyone knew superheroes lived in New York. Duh!

And since Gotham and Metropolis wasn’t real life cities, New York City would have to do. She fished a paper bag out of one of the deep jacket pockets and took a hungry bite of an apple, while she studied the map of the states.

She hadn’t forgotten that Danny her (clone-strain? Cousin? Big brother? DNA-father?) ... relative had taught her. She had been going two months now without stealing and when she did, it was only out of absolute need. For a long time, she had eaten what she could find in the bins and received by people who felt sorry for her.

It wasn’t quite attractive and hero-like, but her stomach had its needs and she just had to obey. She had bought the paper bag's contents with money - money she actually felt rightfully belong to her.

She was awakened one night by a man in an alley. He had given her a friendly smile and promised her money, if she just would follow him home.

Usually she trusted no one, but she had been hungry, frostbitten and exhausted to be on the run for so long. She followed the generous man and had knocked him out with a scream and a ecto-blow, when he had tried to take advantage of her. She had fled, but not without his wallet.

He had promised her money if she came along with him - what she technically had. Technically. Ergo the money was rightfully hers.

Something told her Danny might not agree with her views, but Danny was in Amity Park and she was in Indiana. She had promised herself to call him when she had settled in New York City and tell him about her new life as hero (if he hadn’t seen her in the newspapers before that) and tell him he shouldn’t worry about her.

The only thing that held her from using a few coins on a pay phone right now, was the fear of Plasmius might find her whereabouts through Danny's telephone and the fact that there wasn't much to write home about right now. She would wait until she had become famous and admired.

Danny would be so proud.

She hoped at least.

Like everyone else two years was not lost on her. Where the 12-year-old clone of Danny Fenton had stood, a young 14-year-old teenager with a long black braid had taken her place. Just like Danny and his DNA genes, puberty would come slow and keep her in a slender boyish body until the after a year or two.

All this was still unknown to her and now that she had food in the stomach and a place to rest, she had no worries.

Things would probably go her way. It always did for superheroes.


	3. Stalking is a too big a word, i prefer the term "intense research of an individual"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey again!  
> Third chapter and the story is going smoothly - nice  
> I know I said I would post every two week, but now that I have noticed I had posted every tenth day, I will try and see how long I can keep that up - so next chapter should be the 20th April  
> Writing Vlad and Danny interactions is kind of funny and hard at the same time - but I think it turned out as I wanted it in the end. Other than me that have their stories like an movie in there head and feels like the words on screen can't keep up with it?  
> Anyway - enjoy!
> 
> * * *

They had made the good old teenager trick and convinced their parents that they would use the weekend to hang out at Sam’s place.

Sam told her own parents that she would sleep at Tucker’s and although her mother wasn’t satisfied with the fact that her daughter hung out and had sleepovers with the two teenage boys, she preferred The Foley household over Fenton-works.

There was always something that exploded out there and although the Foley couple was far under her standard, it was better than crazy ghost hunters. With their alibi in order, they slept at a hotel paid by Sam's black rivet purse and woke groggy up to action.

They had a portal to find.

They crept back to Danny's house and sheltered by Jack Fenton's loud snoring, they sneaked into the basement. Madeline Fenton had at some point in her marriage gone over to sleeping with earplugs and slept undisturbed on, while Danny and his friends started their transport and opened the gate to the ghost zone with a low hiss.

Jack Fenton turned in bed, but beyond that they seemed to be in a heavy sleep and Danny flew back to the basement, "they fast asleep, let’s go."

Tucker threw his bag with weapons to Danny and run back to examined the tables for additions to the mission, while Sam placed herself in the cockpit and checked the control panels.

The old Fenton Spector-speeder had been turned into scrap and replaced with his parents converted Fenton Flier, to better cope with his friend’s amateur stopovers. When Skulker ruined the Fenton Flier, his father had been given a new genius vision and finalized the blueprint last summer.

It was exactly the same as the first Fenton Spector-speeder, just bigger (Jack had painted it with a number 2 on the side), equipped with a ecto-tanium bodywork and ecto-shield, while his mother had given it all the same comforts as the Fenton Family Ghost Assault Vehicle and made room so at least four people could sleep comfortably in it.

"I'm ready," Sam shouted through the glass and Danny gave her a thumbs up. "Tucker?"

"Ready and loaded," came it from the satisfied techno-geek, who had thrown the Fenton Bazooka over his shoulder and placed it with the rest of their weapons.

"You don’t think Vlad would see it as a threat if you start carrying that thing around the mission?"

Tucker laughed cunningly and pulled a chip out of his backbag. Danny watch in fascinated as Tucker placed it on the bazooka and made it invisible, "same principle as the suits, this chip just works on metal instead."

They gave each other high-five and slammed the hatch to the speeder. Sam saw it on her panel and fastened her seatbelt. Tucker took the seat next to her and magnificent the engines, while Danny flew out and held the portal open.

As soon as they were through and out to the ghost zone, he would close the portal and slip through, with a final assurance that his parents was still fast asleep. He found the Spector-speeder on the other side and took place between his two friends, "alright, Vlad's portal it is."

-

The digital clock told 08:50 when the big ominous football showed up.

An impatient Vlad Plasmius awaited them with arms folded, like an angry father who had waited his teenagers at home before a tight curfew.

The anger was evident just below the smooth blue surface and the three teenagers answered his look with rolled eyes, "we are here, aren't we?" Danny muttered and watched as his nemesis went intangible and entered the cockpit, like he owned the place.

"To believe you could comply with a simple schedule was obviously too much to ask," he said in a strict tone and looked at them with his arms folded behind his back, "have something to say for yourselves?"

Sam sent him an indifferent glance. She was the trio’s expert when it came to disappoint her elders and didn't dissappoint, "what did you expect? We are _teenagers_ \- it is irresponsible to expect anything from us before noon. We are not ancients who wake up by themselves before the sun, old man. "

Danny and Tucker snickered by the sight of Vlad's anger. He pinched the bridge of his nose and waved his other hand at them, "sometimes I don’t’ understand this intolerable generation. Your wasting my time, " he focused on Danny now," _and_ a hybrid whose live are still at stake - but that would barely worry a few inward teenagers, now would it? "

He smiled, pleased at the sight of their shameful glances and went up to Sam's control panel, "set course for the largest collection of real world items and find the best route. If I remember right, this accelerator has its own ghost zone satellite to navigate from. "

"And how do you know so much about Danny's parent’s invention again?" Tucker asked distrustful and Danny facepalmed, "don’t tell me - You still spying on our house!? "

" _Spying_ is such a judgmental expression," came it with an untouched smile from the half-ghost, "try _research_."

"Or _stalking_ ," Sam sneered and entered full throttle. Vlad did not fall as she had hoped, but he lost footing shortly and gave her a nasty look. That seemed to be good enough for Sam and she returned to the panel that sought systematic after all collections of real world items within miles.

"I'll let the fact that you still have cameras in my home slide until this mission is over," Danny said irritated and caught Tucker and Sam's gaze in the panel's reflection, "so how about you return the favor and spit out. What do you have planned this time, Plasmius?

"Nothing I do not trust that you can handle, my boy," he replied confidently, "it's a simple rescue operation actually. We enter the place, amounts of us with the right people and save the girl before someone discovers anything. It should be modestly enough for teenagers to follow. "

He leaned over Sam's seat to observe the panel better, to the goth’s large dismay, "we will be home before your parents discover your little vanishing number."

"Is there anything you haven’t stuck your nose into?" Danny asked angrily to Vlad's great amusement.

"Only the insignificant, moreover, a strategist should always have all the information at his hand, little badger. Haven’t I taught you anything?"

"Stop calling me that," Danny snarled with luminous eyes, "we're not friends in this. I am _here_ because there is another halfa’s live on the line and they are _here_ , because you are not to be trusted. So drop your friendly act and get to the point. "

Vlad's eyes coalesced into narrow cracks and for a short moment, Danny felt all his muscles tighten up. Getting ready for battle.

But nothing happen. Vlad replaced the menacing gaze with a much softer expression and smiled knowingly, "so feisty, you remind me of myself at that age – but I suppose you're right, we should get some things in order. I propose a truce. "

All the speeders teens groaned in unison, "like you ever keep it in the end, fruitloop!"

"I would say it is necessary, Daniel. This is not a competition or race. If we want to save this hybrid, it will be as a team, a temporary alliance if you like, hmm? "

Tucker shrugged and Sam scowled. It was clearly up to Danny to take the decision here. Yesterday he would rather have eaten ecto-toast or Dash Baxter’s old briefs, than take Vlad Masters hand again, but it was as he said, yesterday.

This was not just about them. There was someone else's life at stake and Danny wasted her precious time. Her life was in his hand.

"Fine, let’s just get it over the with," he said acidic, but didn’t take Vlad's hand. There were still limits to what he would do for an unknown halfa.

"So this halfa…" Tucker began with a nervous glance. He normally never spoke directly to Vlad, without it being a threat or battle banter in communion with the others and having to be on allied terms with the half-ghost seemed almost awkward.

If not for all of them.

Vlad continued to regard the panels, "a young female. I probably should inform you all with what I know about her, before we take action. I discovered her existence half a year back, pure coincidence actually. She has spent her entire life as a ghost hybrid in the ghost zone. I would think she might want to return to the earth again. As we speak, she is locked up and need help to break out. It is here the three of you enter the picture. "

Danny sucked the information to him like a sponge, "what kind of prison are we're talking about, Vlad?"

“A prison made for ghosts, by ghosts. Normally any prison would be like an open door to me, due to the fact that I possess the Skeleton key -”

“The what key?” Tucker interrupted and Sam turned around, “there’s an master-key to the ghost zone? As in an actual magic ghost zone key?”

Vlad nodded and pulled a key from his tunic, “a legendary artifact I obtained some time ago. It is said to open any door and free any prisoner in the ghost zone, but even if I wanted, this key wouldn’t be working functional in this case. You see, it is not doors or bars that ties this ghost hybrid. It’s the ghost around her.”

Danny studied the key with facination. It looked like an ordinary key, besides the green material and scull on the end. Danny had never needed a key to travel in the zone before, but now he thought about it, it was rather logical, that a place containing millions of floating doors and entrances to other worlds, would require keys and locks.

An ultimate master-key would be like a cheat code in _Doom_ – no limitation. 

“Why?” Sam asked surprised, “why would ghosts keep her locked up? If it’s not a prison where she's sentenced, then what value could she possible have for a ghost? Only Skulker would hunt her for the reason that halfas is rare.”

Vlad smirked and shook his head in mild indulgence, “I’m afraid that's incorrect, children. You see, a ghost hybrid isn’t just a rare creature in the ghost and human world – they are legendary.”

Danny turned to him, “come again?”

“It’s quite fascinating, Daniel. Even though we have only existed for at least two decades, the ghost zone had already great knowledge of us. The ghost hybrids are known to be highly powerful beings among ghosts and almost demigods in the specter society. Our arising has been prophesied for centuries and feared by some of the oldest ghost in existing. In the old days we were called ‘the bridge of the worlds’, destined to bind the human and ghost world as one and act as a medium between the living and dead. I believe there’s even songs about it.”

Danny felt a little lightheaded and tried to take it all in. He was prophesied? _Him?_

The most legendendary he had ever done, was surviving the death trap that was his home – okay, that and defeating Pariah Dark to, he guessed, but he would take a fight with the fallen ghost king any day, if that meant he could avoid cleaning the lab, after one of his parent’s new inventions exploded or leaked a gas or fluid, that could make a ghost turn its insides out or worse.

Seriously, he had almost lost his cool, when a ghost hormone bomb had backfired and infested the entire house for two weeks.Danny had to fake a fever to explain his weird blushing and dazed behavior. It had been one of the most humiliating experiences in his life and he had considered himself lucky, that Jazz had moved out and wouldn’t walked in on him.

“Well that’s very interesting and all, but what does that have to do with this halfa?” Sam asked impatiently and crossed her arms.

Vlad opened his mouth, but was interrupted when the panel began to flash violently.

They all gathered around the panel, showing the various collections of human cargo that had driven into the ghost zone. Most were few and scattered.

The largest collections were usually caused by ghosts who collected loot into their lairs, like the Box Ghost, whose home was a crib of old boxes he had collected over the years. Kitty and Johnny 13’s apartment was filled with furniture and paraphernalia, like a real human home, while ghosts like Skulker and Technus built their lair with the existence material of the ghost zone.

After Tuckers improvements, the panel had learned to inform if the items were centered around a ghost lair and sort them of as red dots, while simple floating items were showing as yellow.

Walkers prison lit up like a sunflower in the sea of green, but it wasn’t the wardens prison that attracted Danny and his companion’s attention. In a southern area unknown to Danny and his exploration of the zone, a golden area appeared and blinked as a glowing sun.

Danny had never seen such a large collection of real world items in the same place before. It was the size of a large city. Sam leaned spellbound forward, "what is that?"

Vlad smiled expectantly, "that children, is your prison. Welcome to the ghost zone entertainment core. The Soul Center. "


	4. Making my way downtown, walking fast…oh god where the fuck am I?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have posted as promised and think this chapter played out pretty well  
> My exams will be around next month, so be ready for a hiatus where I maybe wont be posting in a month - but the fic isn't abandoned, don't worry - this is my first fic and i will probably finished it even with a broken arm and on the phone if i have to  
> so stay tuned and enjoy!
> 
> * * *

A town of light and blinking signs showed itself in the green ominous horizon, like a ghost version of the human worlds Las Vegas. Dazzling facades filled with thousands of doors led to a million directions and neon signs in all shades and sizes, assigned to the many entertainment forms, in a large confusing swarm.

Both above and below them, thousands of ghosts flew or walked on their way to unknown destinations and just to make it more chaotic, several ghosts were equipped with cars and transports.

The only other ghost Danny had ever seen on something portable, was Johnny 13 with his motorcycle, but in relation to any of the machines that flew closely past the specter speeder, Johnny’s grinder looks like a simple bicycle.

Lanterns lit boulevards with red lights that didn’t seemed clear enough to provide any real light and Danny wondered why these ghosts had equipped the street with them anyway, since all ghosts could see in the dark just as clearly as daylight.

His question was answered when they had to let a bunch of walking ghosts pass and one of the lights ended up just outside Danny's field of vision. A small red woman of fire danced like a little fairy behind the headlamp glass cage and winking flirtatious to the black-haired teenager, "visit the _Hot lagoon_ , chap. They'll be good to you. "

A gloved hand turned Danny head back to focusing on the road again. Vlad gave him a warning look, "ignore the lantern demons, Daniel. They are just advertising that will lead tourists astray. " Danny glanced nervously back to the little demon woman.

She blew him a kiss, from her little flaming fingertips and wiggled her hips to catch his attention. Danny breathed a sigh of relief when they continued forward.

"I didn’t know there were demons in the ghost zone ..."

"The Soul Center is officially only a part of the ghost zone, as a link to other worlds," Vlad taught and showed Sam where to go at the next turn, "it is one of the few hubs in this world, for all supernatural activity. As you can see, it creates a breeding ground for many shady entertainment businesses, that attracts all kinds of creatures. But it is beneficial for us, here ghosts sits on the top of the hierarchy and controls the city. We are virtually untouchable here. "

"... and humans?" Tucker asked nervously.

Plasmius smiled maliciously, "bottom."

His words were underlined when a long train of chained slaves crossed the street below them. All as one, the humans bowed in trembling fear, as the ghost that drove them, swung his electric whip. They pulled his carriage out of sight, but that didn’t change anything.

Now that Danny was aware, it was clear there were other slaves in the crowd. And it wasn't only humans who wore shackles here, there were also ghosts in the crowd and other creatures Danny couldn’t put a name or race on.

"This is crazy," Sam whispered, eyeing a little girl being whipped on the open street.

"That’s The Soul Center," Vlad said solemnly, "it has existed for centuries, one of the largest and most efficient society in the ghost zone. Millions of creatures pass through here every minute and open portals to other dimensions, lands and even worlds. Quite fascinating place, although a little vulgar for my taste. I only come here if I can’t send Skulker or the Fright knight in my place. "

"You've been here before?" Danny stared at the crowd and tried to take it all in at once. It seemed completely out of place, to imagine someone like Vlad would be found here. This place was pure anarchy and Vlad Masters had always been a man in Danny’s mind, to surrounding himself with settings of order.

Like office buildings, designer suits and framed packer trophies. Not human slaves, gambling dens and strip-teasing demons.

” Well of course, my boy. I’m a business man and have an eye for every profitable marked. Why shouldn’t I take part in a blooming opportunity like this place? Most of my ghost collection comes from the scrolls and books I can obtain her. Travelers from all dimensions often have the most interesting news to tell. It’s a goldmine, if you know where to search.”

Danny and Tucker was awestruck, but Sam didn’t seem impressed, “so _what!?_

Vlad's gaze slid away from the two teenage boys and he leaned back against Sams seat, to her great annoyance and pointed with a gloved hand, "the white complex ahead. I have a reservation there."

Sam parked in one of the open lots outside of the huge building complex, which was an impressive achievement, since her hands shook with repressed anger. If animal cruelty could get her up in the red field, it was nothing compared to slavery and human trafficking.

Vlad's indifferent mention of it all and this place overwhelming capitalism had hit her red buttons like a sledgehammer.

"Good enough for _you?_ " 

The billionaire ignored her harsh tone and calmly stroke past her, "perfectly, Samantha, if you all follow me."

” _Don’t call me that!_ ” she roared after him, but Vlad was already at the front door. Tucker and Danny took a grip in both on her sides and almost carried her after Vlad, “remember we’re on a mission and have an alliance,” Danny said with a sigh. Maybe this would be harder than he through.

“I hate him _so_ much,” she sneered in return. Burning holes in the half-ghosts fluttering cape, with her gaze.

“Don’t we all,” Danny whispered and followed his nemesis into the building.

-

It turned out to be a hotel and they entered the lobby. A very big and luxurious lobby, that is.

Danny was not used to so much abundance and stared open-mouthed at the Roman decor in black marble and stone. A huge fountain with an unknown centurion (or maybe spacepirate, Danny couldn't decide) surrounded by black marble nymphs, stood in the hall and shone in battle with the many purple crystal chandeliers, that cast a shimmering glow over the expensive carpets and couches of silk and chestnut.

Sam who had grown up among society’s more prosperous and had visited similar places with her family, closed the mouths of both boy and led them to the marble counter. Vlad spoke at home with the young attractive male demon at the counter, who seemed to recognize the billionaire from previous visits and smiled broadly.

When he spotted the trio and realized they were part of Vlad's residence, a knowing smile slipped over the demon's face.

"Have a nice stay, Mr. Plasmius, we will have their luggage carried up," he said sensually and waved boldly to Sam, when she looked back at him as the elevator doors opened. Sam sent him a dark glare and flip a bird at him.

A new demon in uniform awaited them in the elevator and drove them up with a wide smile, that showed off all her fangs, as a set of black pearls on a string. That didn’t stop Tucker from trying to flirt with her though and the demon woman giggled over his bad pickup line.

Both Vlad, Danny and Sam winced as he used the, "damn gurl are you a demon? Cause I wanna make sacrifices for you. "

They all sighed in relief, when they reached the last floor and could get out of the cramped elevator. The demon departed again with the elevator, but not without sliding something down Tucker's pocket and sent him a seductive wink, with long blue eyelashes.

Vlad grabbed him as soon as the elevator was out of sight, forcing the contents of his pocket from him. Tucker protested, but was no match for Plasmius strength and lost his price, that turned out to be a small black tag. Danny read over the halfa’s shoulder and felt his cheeks burn.

The demon had given Tucker her number and written a short note about what she would love to do to him, if he came back when she was off duty. What started out as something quite sexy, quickly became macabre. Even Sam, who read along, looked sick.

” Hey, give it back!”

Vlad held the note outside the geeks range, with a boring expression, "no, it's a highly inappropriate message and this is for your own good." The note crumbled to nothing as Vlad let it burn in his hand. Tucker looked heartbroken at the ashes in Vlad's hand, "aww man."

Vlad ignored the boy's sorrows and began walking down the tasteful decorated hallway. Danny and Sam gathered their friend up from the floor, but not without sending Vlad a few angry eyes first.

" _Why?_ " Tucker complained weakly in their arms and Sam rolled her eyes, "for once the fruitloops right, Tuck. That demon slut would have turn your inside out, stuffed you with your own guts and eaten you. Hell, if you have to go by the receptionist's looks, he probably thinks we're Vlad’s escort or something. This place is sick ... but rather tasteful furnished. "

Danny passed a detailed painting of a human being tortured in hell, "yeah, I could totally see you live here. It's very dark and gloomy." Personally he would give anything noting more, than to be at home in his room and safe in his bed, with videogames and a bag of chips, but he couldn’t afford to think like that right now.

If this place was The Soul Centers crown, he could only begin to imagine the place where the unknown halfa were incarcerated. He had to be strong for her sake. They sought Vlad out by two double doors and he keeps the door open for them, like some ghostly version of a gentleman.

Danny knew he shouldn’t have expected less but still stared. They clearly had been giving one of the resort's largest suites.

"Presidential Suite," Vlad informed pompously, as if he had read Danny thoughts.

"You paid for it with tortured souls, or something?" Came it strained from Sam, who threw Tucker on one of the wide chaiselounges, "do they even take credit cards here?"

"As a matter of fact, they do," Vlad told her calmly and switched from Plasmius to Masters, "gold is a popular exchange here and in most dimensions. I keep an account here in one of the local banks."

Danny shifted to his human form, now that Plasmius had been stored away and took a better look at the place, "wait. I thought you said we would only be here shortly?"

"It's only for one night," Vlad said smoothly, as if needing a luxurious suite for a one-night stay, wasn’t anything special and turned to order room-service over a discrete established phone on one of the small corner tables.

"The bedroom is mine, but you three are free to choose one of the adjoining rooms."

Vlad got connected and turned his back on them. Danny rolled his eyes and discovered their luggage had made its way to the suite before them. They all shrugged and grabbed their backpacks before they went searching for a place to throw their things.

The adjoining room had only one bed, but it was wide enough for at least five people and the three friends had shared a bed before, when they had made an all-nighter or game-night together. When they returned to the living room, they found Vlad examining a serving-cart and pour himself a glass of wine.

Danny saw to his disgust, that the wine was almost black when it was poured into the wineglass.

"It’s probably to munch to ask, but I trust that you three can handle a meal without my exhortation," Vlad told them in a business manner and left his glass on one of the many flimsy tables, "I have matters to take care of and will be gone in a few hours - do not leave this room while I am away. It would be dangerous and I cannot take the responsibility for dead teenagers on this trip."

He switched into Plasmius and walked towards the door. Danny ran after him and stopped him at the open door, "wait, where the hell are you going?" Danny didn’t like the idea of letting Plasmius out of sight and especially right now, where they were on foreign ground and far from help.

Maybe it had been Vlad's plan all along? Leave them here to get the halfa himself (if she even existed!) and leave them to the city's mercy, with a bill they couldn’t possibly pay. They would probably be put in chains and vanish in this city.

No one would ever think to look for them here.

Vlad smiled tenderly, "Do not worry, little badger, I would never consider leaving you here all alone. But I have a few connections here, who knows about the halfa’s whereabouts and will have to seek them out before she’s being moved again. "

Danny scowled at the old silly nickname and the idea of Vlad thinking he would miss him was intolerable.

"Whatever, fruit loop, like I ever miss your sorry ass – I’m just making sure you’re not breaking the truce, we both know you incapable of keeping," he said with a grin and slammed the door in the older halfa’s face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> comments and ideers is always welcome  
> I will be posting the next chapter the 30th of april


	5. Excuse me sir, do you have a moment to talk about our lord and savior Cthulhu?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey people! My schedule is working against me and I just found out, that I wouldn't be able to post tomorrow as promised, due to family stuff - so I figured I just post it today instead.  
> anyway, the chapters are coming along just fine and there's no hiatus in sight right now, so hang on and enjoy  
> \- comment are always welcome and appreciated
> 
> * * *

Danni flew down the street with a feeling of being in some twisted reality. Back home, he would rarely flourished open in the cityscape as a ghost and if he did, he was either invisible, in the midst of a ghost fight, or high above the city where he had the skies to himself.

Natural privacy as a flying ghost, one could say.

There was no such thing here. Multiple floors of ghosts and other flying creatures occupied the urban space and stopped or moved, led by a complex web of traffic lights. Making it impossibe to just fly at randome or take shortcuts at will.

Danny had to stop for a flock of winged women and was considering changing lanes to get more space and speed, but reconsidered. He wouldn’t give a damn about the whole traficsystem and just fly at random, if it weren’t for the visible order guards who patrolled the site.

Danny was neither afraid of them or their sticks, but this was a stealth mission so he had to behave and avoid as much unwanted attention as possible. He had to keep low and aviod getting caught or seen by the wrong people...or creatures. Whatever.

He had left the hotel a couple og hours ago, but made no futher progress. Sam and Tucker had given him thumbs up, when he suggested going against Vlad's order and look for the halfa on his own and it had seemed like a smart move back then, but now Danny wasn't so sure.

But still. Everything that could irritate Plasmius was a general good idea, so Danny had left the hotel through the window and flew around the town center. The big city atmosphere had taken him back at first and he found himself turning his head every five second, trying to take it all in at once.

He looked confused at the many signs and billboards that changed picture every five seconds, trying hard to spot his goal in all the advertising and commotion.

The place seemed to be just as modern as New York City in the human world or any greater human capital and Danny had even seen advertisements for human products, such as Coca Cola and Lewis jeans. Other advertising was clearly only for ghosts, demons and mare-people, such as ecto-phones, care products of fire and scale shampoo.

Large screens showed macabre mixture of different music videos with lightly dressed creatures and he had stop on a street corner, to the sight of Ember who stuck her tongue out on a ten-meter high screen.

Apparently, she had not only been successful in the human world with her music and the advertisement showed where you could buy tickets for her ghost zone tour.

Danny descended down to street level and passed a strip club and an advertisement screen with a woman's head in profile, wearing something that looked like a motorcycle helmet. He passed two shady men and pulled up his white hood just too be slightly more anonymous in the city image.

Danny didn’t know if this neighborhood was one of the lesser part of the town, but it had been a while since he had seen another ghost and the creatures he passed, gave him strange glances. He had already wasted enough time asking if anyone knew where to find the halfa.

Those who had actually spoken a language he could understand, had either ignored him or just said, "you do not have the money for it, kid." He didn’t know what they meant by that and felt gradually worn out. Danny liked big cities, but this place was exhausting.

He missed his little hometown.

A glimpse in the coner of his right eye caught Danny's attention. For a moment he thought it had just been one of those little demons from the lampposts, but now that he thought about it, this had been a bright white light-creature and not red.

The small fly-like figure appeared again, now nearer and Danny could now see that it had wings like a little fairy - maybe a pixie? It approached gracefully, like a little firefly and saw innocently at him.

"Hey," he greeted, but was interrupted by the pixie, " _halfa,_ " it whispered and took off.

"Wait, what?" Danny exclaimed surprised and pursued after the little light, "hey, wait!" The pixie didn’t stop to wait for him and shot across the street, with Danny racing it, ignoring the yelling drivers and angry pedestrians.

The little creature looked back and when it discovered that the half-ghost was still chasing, it turned sharply and disappeared into a dark alley.

Danny followed without a second thought and took after the white light through the dark backyard. The pixie stopped outside a low building and slipped in through a miniature door. Danny stopped the chase before he collided with the wall (Ghost walls couldn’t be phase through; he had remembered that the hard way an hour earlier).

The wall turned out to belong to a little dirty pawnshop and an old dusty sign advertised the place as; ’ _Stuff n thangs_ ’.

The young halfa had no major acquainted with small seedy businesses, but knew almost instinctively, that this was a place you came to get goods that was not allowed on the open market or tax registered.

All logic told him that he had nothing to do in a shady place like this, but his curiosity got the best of him and the promise of finally finding a clue to the unknown halfas residence, made him step through the door.

A small bell warned the owner about his arrival, but the shop seemed to be empty. The only sound in the quiet crowded room came from Danny himself.

"Hello?" He asked avert, but got no reply. He shrugged and began his search for the little pixie. The many shelves and rickety tables show exhibited goods and objects, Danny didn’t know half the origin or purpose for and he looked confused down on a pile of books in which the upper claimed to be a bible for Cthulhu.

"Interested in the lord of the dark dimension? I can give you half price if you take the matching necklace in on the bargain. "

Danny turned around in the air and discovered a small wrinkled man behind the counter. He smiled and all the paper thin wrinkles almost covered his eyes and nose.

"They have been very popular since Pariah's Dark's second downfall. Gives people someone to submit to in their spare time, "came it from the pawnbroker with a thin voice and he turned on the old cash register.

"Umm, Sorry, but I’m not really here to buy anything," Danny said a little embarrassing and rubbed his neck "I’m just looking for a little -"

The little pixie appeared from the pawnbroker’s robes and sat on his shoulder as if it belonged there. It smiled with small sharp teeth and winked teasingly.

The pawnbroker laughed at something it whispered in his ear and turned to Danny, "sorry, he likes to attract customers, do not worry about my pixie, he understands nothing of business. He just wants to help an old antique by keep this place running."

Danny made a bemused smile to the little pixie and its master. They seemed innocent enough, though he couldn’t figure out, what kind of creature the pawnbroker was supposed to be. He wasn’t a demon or ghost, that was certainly.

"So what can I do for you, young ghost?"

Danny cleared his throat and flew up to the counter, "your pixie, actually, he talked about the halfa."

"Really now?" He said thoughtfully and gave the little pixie a glance. The pixie grinned with a small helium voice, "you are interested in the halfa?"

"You know about her?" Danny asked eagerly leaning forward.

"I guess everybody does in one way or another, my friend. Everyone knows that halfa’s are rare creatures. A human being who only die half way and become a bridge between the living and the dead world. Incredibly rare and envied for their powers. There is only one here in the Soul Center. Very rare indeed. I have heard the existence of one like her out east, but he is older and as good as untouchable. There has been some gossip about a new one that prevent ghosts from visiting the human world, but it is as I said, just loose gossip. The only thing I know for sure is that we have one here in town. "

Danny smiled, "that sounds right, you know where I can find her? Where she lives?"

"Not really," began the little man, before he turned to a small door behind him, "but I have a poster of her in here somewhere, if you would like to see her for yourself. Just a moment. "

Danny landed on the worn floor with an optimistic mind. Finally, someone who could help him! He had almost lost all hope of finding even the slightest information on his own and now that he knew that this halfa was for real and here in the city, he could put the fear of Plasmius trying to trick them behind him.

He didn’t react when the bell rung behind him, Danny decided he wouldn’t interfere with the pawnbroker’s other customers and kept to himself at the counter.

The old man couldn’t give him much, but giving Danny just a hint about how this girl looked, would be more than enough for Danny. The old pawnshop owner took his time and Danny looked at the stuff on the counter to kill time.

The cash registeres dirty steal surface reflected the shop behind him and Danny saw two men with fly wings inspected the goods behind him. Danny wondered briefly, if they could be fairies of some kind, when he heard the sound of a ecto-gun being charged.

"Don’t move, spook."

Danny's reflexes took over. He grabbed the counter and swung down behind it. The green shots drilled into the disc's old wood and left a hole only an inch away from Danny's face. He shot further behind a bookcase and fired his ghost-ray after the two fairies.

" _Cthulhu damn_ , I said don’t move!"

Danny phased trough the bookcases and flew behind his assailants, in order to attack them from behind. The largest of them pursed his long ear and aimed behind him. Danny sidestepped and fired three ghost-rays against them, the two fairies jumped to either sides and took cover behind the overturned tables.

"Give up, ghost-kid, you don’t want to fight with us!"

"And you guys don’t wanna fight me, so how about we call it a tie and call it of as pals?" He replied and fired back. Small glass containers and books burst or explode, making it rain with glass and paper confetti, "apparently not..." Danny looked around and winced.

If this continued much longer, the pawnbroker’s shop would be reduced to dust. Danny would like to switch to his meaner ecto-energy strikes, or more concentrated blasts, but he risked turning the place into a flaming dump, so he remained true to the less explosive shots.

He got the smallest of the fairies with a direct hit in the face and saw him collapse under an overturned bookcase. His partner ignored him and shot with a new pistol. Danny had expected a shot and not a net.

It closed around him and latched his hands at his sides, before it gave him a sharp shock. Danny shrieked and felt gravity pull him back to the ground, where he landed heavily on his shoulder. The fairy laughed triumphantly and walked up to him, "I told you, not a chance, ghost-kid."

"Oh _please_ , this is a butterfly-net comparing to the ones Skulker uses," Danny said with rolled eyes and burst the net as if it were dental floss. The fairy joined his partner when Danny sent him to the floor with a green shot. 

The white haired ghost was going to secure that the pawnbroker hadn’t been tied or beaten up out back, when a shot hit him in the back and sent Danny to his knees.

"Halfa’s really rare, you know."

The pawnbroker came up behind Danny, pointing an ecto-gun at his head. He smiled greedily, "really rare and incredibly valuable."

Danny opened his mouth to give a sarcastic answer, but felt his strength seep out of him like water. Whatever he had been shot with, had drained his strength and Danny gave up trying to stand with gasping breath.

"They talk about a new halfa, guarding a man-made portal," continued the pawnbroker calmly and Danny saw two fly wings flutter expectantly behind his shoulders. The little pixie grinned broadly from his shoulder, "a young human-like ghost, with snow white hair and glowing green eyes. They will pay me well for such a small gem like you. Really rare. "

He reached out for Danny’s hood and Danny used his last strength with a groan and tried to smack the gun out of the old man's hands. The fairy didn’t appear to have been expected resistance and snarled furiously while trying to keep Danny down.

Danny gave him a kick in the stomach and knocked them both to the ground, in an attempt to end on top. The fairy fought hard and got help from the pixie, who pulled Danny's hair and tried to scratch his eyes out. Danny ended on his back and put his hands against the small man's chest.

He could feel his last strength disappear and gave everything he had into one last ghost-ray.

The crisp smell of burning flesh and hair, reached Danny before the full understanding of what had just happened.

A hole the size of Danny's two hand stood wide open in fairy chest and Danny could see the ceiling above them through it, where small clumps of flesh and blood now hung around a black burned spot.

The Fairy's eyes were open in shock for a second, but then went lifeless. The body became slack and heavy, before falling down on him. Danny gasped as the old man turned to sand and covered him as snow.

The halfa, still staring at the ceiling in shock, sat up slowly and trembling. Mist escaped his shaking lips.

” Well done, Daniel.”

Vlad Plamius appeared in front of him with an applause and smiled like a father that had just witness his firstborn take its first steps. He reacted faster than a viper, when the little shining pixie tried to escape through a hole in the wall.

Vlad closed his hand around it and with a sickening sound, he crushed the bones in the little frail body and let it fall to the ground, where he crushed it with his boot-heel, as if it had been nothing but a simple insect.

Danny stared at him, still shaken. The sand filled his lap, as if he had just been on the beach. He lifted a hand where the gray sand gathered in his palm. _This is a fairy_ , he thought in disgust and shock. He felt weak.

"Allow me," came it calmly from Vlad, as he bowed down and pulled a splinter out of Danny's back. Making the teen suppressed a groan of pain. Danny ignored Vlad’s outstretch hand and it seemed to amuse the older halfa.

"I must say I'm impressed, Daniel. Fairies are crafty creatures, that may not be a direct threat to ghosts like us, but considering it was your first confrontation with this race, the result is no less impressive. Quite stunning. "

Danny haven’t caught any of his nemesis words and just stared blankly down at the pile of sand, "... I... I killed him."

” First kill, my boy?” Vlad asked, clearly interested.

"Vlad," Danny said expressionless, staring at his during,” I just killed another person.”

The sick realization of what he had just done, smacked him in the face and made his insides wince.

The teenager turned to the man with frightened eyes, "I ... it wasn’t my ... I just wanted to ... it was just my _ghost-ray!_ " Not in his wildest dream could Danny ever consider the possibility or intention of killing another being.

In all the years he had been a halfa, he had come to term with several life threatening battles and always won with the option of sparing his enemies life or beating them to unconsciousness. But he had never had the intention to kill anyone. Not now. Not ever.

"I don’t get it," he said with a shaky voice, "my ghost-ray never done that before! All it normally does, is sending people on their backs! I have even used it on humans! So why now!? "

Vlad pulled the shivering boy to him and stroked his hair in soothing manner. Normally, Danny would never allow that kind of approaches from the man or others, but he was in a dire state of shock and any comfort would be welcoming.

Even Dark Phantom could had put his arms around him and Danny probably wouldn’t have bat an eye. Vlad hummed in a soft voice, like talking to a small scared child.

"People and ghosts are made of a substance other than fairies, child. Fairies are extremely fragile biological and burn easily, like vampires and harpies. The amount of energy that exist in your smallest energy shots, is enough to start a spark in a fairy’s anatomy and burn through them as easy as flash paper. "

Danny felt the tears flow, "I-I didn’t know, I swear..." He’s eyes turned to look towards the other two fairies and discovered they had turned into piles of sand as well. Danny bored his fingers into Vlad's tunic, hiding his face.

"And why should you? This is your first meeting with the type of creature and other supernatural beings in general. You just defended yourself, my boy. Anyway, this low creature is below our dignity. You only gave them what they deserved. "

Danny opened his eyes and pushed Vlad away, "what is wrong with you!? _Lower creatures?_ How can you say that!? I killed them! I took their lives! "

Vlad just smiled and Danny hit him furiously on his broad chest, "your monster! You could have warned me and stop me! You were here the whole time! You could have done something! What. Is. Wrong. With. You!?"

The older halfa grabbed his fists with a disappointed look and held Danny fixed, "really, Daniel? You call _me_ a monster; you've just murdered three people in cold blood, not very hero-like, _is it?_ "

” Shut Up! Shut Up!”

Vlad huffed and let him go, "don’t be so dramatic, Daniel, we both know you're just overreacting. Furthermore, I believe it is time for you to return to my suite. "

Danny gasped in surprise, as Vlad teleported them back to the hotel and released Danny outside the double door to the suite.


	6. Fifty shades of Masters?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My exams is coming up real soon, but i try keep my standards up and post every tenth day  
> comments is always appreciated
> 
> * * *

Standing outside of the suite doors, Danny could faintly hear Sam and Tucker listen to loud music inside and cheering loudly. 

Vlad wrinkled his noses at them in dismay and shook his head, "I think you've taught yourself a lesson not to go out on your own again and defy my orders. Now be a reasonable boy and go to your friends, Daniel. I have business to finish, before we start our further search. "

Danny gave him a mean look. Like hell he had learned a lesson – the only thing he got out of the visit to the dirty pawnshop, was the fact that Vlad wasn’t to be trusted and Danny should avoid fairies at all cost, before he made more sand piles and end up adding 'fairy dust dealer' to his CV.

"Oh, so you just took a convenient break and found me on the street by chance?" Danny asked sarcastically, "we both know you followed me the moment I left the building!"

Vlad laughed, "very astute of you, Badger. But not subtle enough. "

Danny lifted an eyebrow, "so what, you’re a duplicate to?"

Vlad simply smiled and Danny rolled his eyes, “let me guess, you suppressed your ghost-signature so I wouldn’t sense you or something?”

“My, my, Daniel I see you learned quite a lot since our last encounter. You are not as clueless as you were as a younger child.”

“Don’t patronize me,” Danny scowled, “and I’m not a child, I’m sixteen, for Christ sake.” 

Wow, now he knew how Jazz felt.

“Whatever makes you sleep at night, Daniel.”

Danny could feel his eyes glow,” at least I don’t need a cat to sleep with, old man!”

The older halfa sent him an indignantly glare, ” for the last time, Maddie is my sisters cat!”

“You don’t have a sister.”

“She’s adopted.”

“Just like your new ghost outfit.”

Vlad looked like he was going to hit him and Danny gave him a matching glare. They stare at each other in a silent battle, silently waiting to see who would be the weakest and look away first. 

Vlad broke into a smile,” you getting bolder, my boy, it suits you. Now, go to your little friends.”

Danny might as well do as he said, but turned around with one hand on the doorknob, "you were seriously expecting that I would leave the room?"

"You are a predictable person, Daniel, it’s not that hard to anticipate your moves. You are not as clever as you might think, child. "

Danny smiled,” nah, a clever person would know I’m really just a duplicate,” and disappeared.

Inside the suite, Danny let his duplicate merge with him and continued the limbo tournament he had started with Tucker and Sam hours ago. Sam cheered as she jumped up on one of the coffee table and Tucker laughed so hard his kebab sandwich almost fell apart. 

The two duplicates that held the broom, lowered it playfully, while Danny struggled to get under without falling. He laughed and made himself weightless in human form and came out on the other side without problems.

"Your cheater," came it laughing from Sam as she jumped down, preparing for her turn. The two duplicates raised the broom just slightly, when she wasn’t looking. 

"No way," Danny said,” limbo is like my life philosophy. The only thing I cheat on in life, is with my ghost-powers.”

Tucker swallowed the rest of his sandwich,” how is limbo your life philosophy again?”

“It’s all in the saying, Tuck, _‘How low can you go?’_ – anyway my duplicates back.”

“Found the halfa?” came it strained from Sam halfway under the broom.

”Nope, Plasmius got in the way for a real search. Apparently he has left a duplicate outside the doors. He suppressed his ghost-signature or something, making it impossible for me to tell if he’s still here or not.”

“Bummer,” Tucker groaned and checked the serving card for more snacks.

“Yeah, I called the one I sent to spy on him back as well. That on couldn’t get anything useful either. I kept that one on a safe distance so Plasmius wouldn’t sense it. All it could do was follow him to premises, and wait outside.” 

He leaned heavily back in one of the messy couches and placed his feet on the coffee table, “I need to learn how to suppress my own ghost signature, if I wanna outsmart him now.”

Sam won her turn and sat on the floor,” so what? We just _wait?_ ”

Danny looked at the now empty serving-card and made a sinister grin. Tucker and Sam looked at him with confusing, as he rose and picked up the phone and dialed for room service.

“Hello room service? Yeah, we like to order five pounds of chocolate sauce, a bucked of fudge and enough sprinkles and ice-cream to fill a tub – and don’t forget cherries. A lot of them. That’s right, that’s my order…on Mr. Plasmius bill of course…okay, thank you _soooo_ much.”

Danny finished the call and shared a goofy smile with his duplicates and friends, “I like to see the face of his duplicate when the cards come rolling.”

-

Either the duplicate didn’t care or Vlad too had pulled his back as well. Danny guessed the latter. It would be very Vlad-ish (thanks Tuck…) to think Danny had learned his lesson and let them be, without another security guard.

Whatever the reason, Vlad was right. Danny had stayed in the suite like a god boy and let the man be. 

Danny hated it. 

He and his friends had settled in front of the flat screen with their ice desserts and streamed The Soul Centers pop channels, without focusing on anything for more than a minute or two (either it was pure sex, boring advertisements, news in languages they didn’t understand, or torture on open screen - yikes).

They turned in unison when everyone’s favorite fruitloop returned later that evening. He gasped with his red eyes in shock and took in the sight of that hurricane that must have passed through the living room and would certainly cost him a fortune.

_” Butter Biscuits!”_

Danny smiled in a mocking form of innocence, "something wrong, Vlad?"

"Wrong? Wrong!? I left you for nearly eight hours and this living room looks like the battlefield of the fourth Reich! This will have consequences! "

Sam stared challenging at him and crossed her arms, "what you gonna do about it? Huh? Sent the cleaning crew at us? Relax, you have the money to pay what’s worse, fruitloop. "

Vlad was over her in a matter of seconds and pushed her to the wall, with one hand locked around her thin neck. Tucker and Danny jumped in to action and moved for a battle stand. Tucker withdrew his ecto-guns and Danny switched to his ghost-form. 

"Let go of her, Plasmius!"

Vlad ignored them completely and continued his treatment of the writhing teenager, "it is not a question of money, you little ungrateful brat. It is a matter of discipline, something the three of you seems to lack entirely! "

He let go of her and Danny rushed to save her from landing on her end. Vlad ignored them and their seething anger, as he turned around and went back to the bag he had left at the door.

He slammed the front doors and looked at them with the authority as a sergeant, "if you are ready to focus on the _real_ reason why we are here and put your foolish teenage tendencies aside just for one second in your life, I can inform you that I have acquired the equipment for tonight."

Danny and Tucker was ready to murder Vlad right here and now, but Sam showed them she was fine – albeit more pissed than anything else – and held them back. 

"Show us what you got, psycho. This better be good since you've wasted the whole day on it. "

Vlad ignored her and threw two bags of clothes respectively to her and Tucker. They grabbed them in the air and checked them out with scrutinizing faces. 

"What’s this supposed to be?" Tucker asked a little confused and pulled a black suit out of the bag. The substance was smooth and luxurious and almost looked like a tuxedo, just without the bow tie and white dress shirt. 

Sam was almost identical, just with a skirt instead of trousers.

Vlad gave them a malicious smile, "slave uniforms and the most expensive that is, I believe it is only appropriate."

” No way we gonna wear that!” they shouted in unison, but Vlad couldn’t take care of their opinions and fished to metal rings from the bag.

"It’s this or nothing. We have a dinner invitation with a high ranked ghost and in order to bring two humans with me, the best cover would be like my two personal slaves. Humans cannot get in otherwise, "he reminded them and they realized that the rings he had placed on the worn coffee table, was slave-collars in a sleek black design. 

Sam gasped, it was the same kind of collar Walker had tried shackle her with those years back, when he had caught all their friends on the summer camp.

"I'm not your slave!" She shouted furious and threw the clothes back to the older ghost, who grabbed it with a scowl. 

"Yeah, me neither," Tucker joined and Vlad pinched the bridge of his nose with a sigh, "it's just a formality! This is just a cover in order for the two of you to be following me unseen and still be useful in this."

He lifted an eyebrow at the sight of their dismissive faces and gestured, "I think you have forgotten why we are here. We are here to save an innocent out of the clubs on a group of merciless ghosts and if the idea hasn’t occurred to you yet, this hybrid has been a slave for years and wears a genuine slave-collar without a single choice in the matter. Would it really be too much to ask of you, to wear a fake one just for one night? "

Danny immediately felt guilty and out of the corner of his eye, he could see the others looked down as well, "fine," Sam groaned and grabbed her suit when Vlad threw it back to her.

” Excellent,” came it satisfied from Vlad and Danny looked up in surprised, when Vlad prevented him from taking one of the designated collars, "oh no, my boy, these are for humans only. However, you will be needing this one."

Vlad pulled a stronger and more advanced collar out. Danny watched it with clear distrust, "what’s that?"

"A slave-collar for ghosts, my boy. While Mr. Foley and Miss. Manson are going to play my slaves, I have a different role meant for you." They accepted their collars and settled down on the couches as Vlad explained the plan in general. 

"I have made contact with one of the ghosts who knows the hybrids master and can give us access to a personal meeting. I will do the talking and expect you to play your roles with some effort. I don’t think I need to make it more clear, that humans have no other function here than serving other creatures. The two of you only talk if I allow or speak to you. You will be standing when I sit and do not - _and I mean it!_ \- talk back to me or others that will share our company. Is that perfectly clear? "

Sam sent him a venomous gaze, but seemed to see the logic of it,” right…”

” But what about me?” Danny asked uncertain.

“I have a special role for you, my boy. Like the others you play my property, but not as a human. You will be attending this meeting as my ghost champion. My halfa fighter.”

“What!?” cam it from the teens in unison, “a what now?”

“A fighter in the annual ghost games,” Vlad retorted easily and showed them a poster from the inside of his tunic, "modern gladiators fighting for their honor and master's favor. It is the highest form of entertainment in The Soul Center and enjoyed by only the most affluent and wealthy in the city. It is an honor to participate. "

Sam huffed, "a bunch of rich psychopaths, forcing slaves to fight for their amusement and odds."

Vlad didn’t seem affected by Sam's dictionary and Danny inspected the poster in confusion. A silhouette lit by an arena and spotlight, stood with a raised fist. 

Danny had heard mention of the Roman gladiators and the Colosseum in history class, and seen the real deal when they traveled there with the infi-map, but never imagined he would play as such a warrior.

He didn’t like the idea of putting ghosts up against each other for money and entertainment. Danny fought only to protect others. Doing business of such matches seemed wrong. Perverted even.

"People really pay money to see this?"

"People _envy_ those who can pay to see it, children. If we make a good impression tonight, we will be meeting with the hybrid’s master there. So make an effort - and one more thing, Mr. Foley, I have a job for you. "

Tucker look up in surprise, "who me?"

They watched as Vlad pulled the last and final content of the bag and showed off one last collar. It was bigger, wider and meaner looking than theirs. As if it should hold an animal rather than a human.

” I need you to break the mechanic lock on this one.”

Tucker was about to open his mouth, but Vlad interrupted him, "I know you did something similar during your encounter with one of Walkers prisoners and the mission requires us to break the code for this type of collar. It should be easy, fast and anywhere within a radius of one meter. I need you do it unseen, so find a way to break it without anyone discovering it. You have until tomorrow. "

Tucker looked like someone who had swallowed too large a bite of steak and Sam looked horrified at him, "and how do you imagine that to be possible?"

"I trust that Mr. Foley can handle a challenge, "the man retorted smoothly, " The entire mission depends on him. Now, go on and get ready. We're leaving in three hours and not a second before. I will fresh up in the meantime. "

The half-ghosts swept past them without a care for Tuckers, "b-but?" and walked toward the bathroom. The teenagers looked down at their new equipment and gave each other questionable gazes.

"We're really doing this, aren’t we?" came it uncertain from Danny and the other shrugged. An outbreak of, _"fudge buckets!"_ poured out from the bathroom and the three teenagers made haste to grab their items and ran to their bedroom.

They didn’t need to ask, to know Vlad had stumbled upon their half-eaten Sunday supreme- tub.


	7. Hide yo’ kid hide yo’ wife!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter will be the opening to new OC's and I hope you wont mind to much  
> My first exam is comming up, but I hope I will be able to find a little free time to post the next chapters anyway.  
> Hope you enjoy and comments is always wellcome
> 
> * * *

Tonights transport would not be the Fenton specter-speeder (version 2!), but a long sleek limousine that seem to bend and slip into the roads and alleyways, in a way that seemed impossible for such a long vehicle.

Sam and Tucker were tucking their collars in silent, but fuming visible in discomfort. As they sat there with combed hair and identical uniforms, they looked like a couple of rich kids on a school trip – but even Danny had to admit there was something professional and stylish about the suits.

While they were dressed up, he was just in his ghost form, equipped with a slave-collar just as the other two and tried to cool his nerves and awakening curiosity, that only kept growing as they drove to the meeting facility.

Plasmius was ignoring all of them, as he leaning back in the dark green seats and poured himself a drink from the minibar. The chauffeur was separated from them by a black screen and they could talk in peace, if they wanted, but no one seemed to be in the chatting mood in the moment.

Danny stared out at the crowded street through the tinted windows. Expensive clad ghosts and creatures wandered down the street or flying over them and walked in and out of large illuminated complexes, Danny understood were casinos, theaters and restaurants.

Ghosts didn’t really have to eat, but Danny knew many ghosts did it for their own pleasure.

Some believed it was because it reminded them of their previous lives, while others said it was a social thing. Danny needed food because he was half human, but could easily go a whole day in ghost form before he remembered to eat anything. It was only when he switched back to human that his stomach would growl.

The ghosts that passed outside the limo, clearly had reserved tables for incredibly expensive meals and it annoyed Danny in a way. Why pay a fortune for food they didn’t really needed? If they were to believe Vlad, this ghost they were to meet, dined at their destination restaurant every day.

Just How shallow were these ghosts?

He grabbed his collar and shook it a bit so it wouldn’t be so suffocating. He was glad that he didn’t have to go with one at daily basis. His thoughts returned to the halfa. If he was to believe Vlad, she had been caught in this place for years and been subject to the city's cruelty.

It filled Danny with anger knowing there were people here who were killed and treated like animals, without the slightest chance of escape. Someone should maim this place to the ground - but Danny didn’t know if it could be him.

Could he really clean the ghost zone for human slavery?

He told himself he would start by freeing the halfa.

The chauffeur stopped at the curb and held by a red carpet. Danny stared out the tinted windows and gazed up at the looming complex of dark green stone. It was clearly not a casino and if he had to guess, he would say they had arrived to an open prison.

A servant with pointy ears and glowing pale eyes opened the limousine door and Plasmius got out with a pleased poise.

Danny followed him clumsily (he wasn’t used to sitting in low cars) and was closely followed by Tucker and Sam. Spectators on the street watched them with open interest and Danny pulled his hood up. He usually didn’t mind a little attention, but he wanted nothing of that sort from the people here.

They looked as if they would eat them alive.

”Come along, children, " Vlad said with neutral expression in the island of attention and led them up the carpet, like this was just another day in his life. Danny suspects that was the case. Everyone knew who Vlad Master was in the human world and Danny had spotted him before in the newspapers, on red carpets to something important.

Vlad didn’t wait for them, he clearly hadn’t forgotten the tub-incident and wouldn’t make this easy for them. Danny floated up to him, but held his distance, so he could follow in the same path as Sam and Tucker and still keep at close range.

Danny would like to review the plan with the others again, but Vlad had made it clear they risk everything by talking together, so they had to bite their tongues and played their roles to the best of abilities.

A waiter opened the doors for them, and like the first, he was equipped with alabaster skin and smiled with long canines. Danny had never seen a vampire before, but something told him he had just discovered one now.

The vampire at the counter took Vlad's name without problems and they followed through a draped curtain, led to a large illuminated hall, where tables and podiums stood furnished with green tablecloths and crystal glasses.

Everyone in the room were looking at a scene where a ghost was talking into a microphone with a cheery voice. Puzzled Danny withdrew his hood and discovered that there already was someone at the table they were assigned to.

Vlad took a seat with a smile and Danny sat upon the chair that was pulled out to him. Tucker was about to take place himself, but was quickly stopped by Sam, who shook her head in warning and mimed Vlad's instructions to him. Stand up when Vlad sits.

Their table lord didn’t seem to have noticed the blunder or that he had company for that matter. His attention was fixed on the stage and a glass of whiskey was rotated thoughtfully in his green hand.

Danny could see he was a ghost and clearly a gentleman from the old Southern stats. His white suit was old-fashioned and adorned with a cowboy hat, matching boots and a boastful bolo tie with bullhorns.

Two white-clad teens stood behind him. Both Asian and nearly identical. They looked vacantly and could have been mannequins, had it not been for their visible breathing. Sam stared at them in horror.

Vlad cleared his throat and the ghost was startled. His face turned into a healthy smile that made his broad mustache point up and he took Vlad's hand with great enthusiasm.

”Plasmius! Howdy, how do you do? Glad you could make it, sit down, sit down Y’all, let get some refreshments right quick,” he exclaimed heartily and called a servant to him with an exaggerated snap. His southern accent was thick and had it been under different circumstances, Danny could have taken a liking to him.

He looked like the funny uncle type.

A glass of wine was served for Vlad and he showed with a single gesture, that they could serve for Danny as well. The young halfa stared at the wine glass with a wrinkled nose.

It was not the first time he had been served alcohol, but if he had to choose, he would have preferred a beer. Or a shot or two, as he had been served once, hitting a club with his friends. Wine was unfamiliar to him.

The two ghosts ignored him and talked in a businesslike conversation, which mostly went over the heads on the teenagers. What they could get out of it however, was that the ghost was named Runner, he managed this place, knew Vlad through business and saw slaves merely as cattle.

The two ghosts laughed at one of Runners sophisticated jokes, when Runner suddenly turned to Danny,” so this is the little Yankee, I’ve heard so much about? Hmm, he’s a looker I tell you, he could make me a fortune on those old ladies and gentlemen in her, I tell you. And you want this halfa comin’ to The Cube? That I like to see.”

Vlad laid a possessive hand on Danny's shoulder and the teen had to bite his cheek, so he wouldn’t follow his natural instinct and remove it.

"And you will, I intend to make Phantom here the next big sensation. That was actually why I wanted to meet with you, Runner. I have an offer to make with your boss."

”Hmm, what kind of offer you slurring about? Can’t waist the mistress time with anythin’, not even for a good ol’ Yankee like you, Plasmius.”

Vlad's lips lurches into a fanged smile, "a fight between two halfas."

Runner nearly got his whiskey stuck in his throat and gazed at Vlad in disbelief,” well that’s a whole nuther thang! That be an offer she would be _mad_ to let down. But you sure this little looker is up for that kind of fight? Her halfa is in the League, never lost a fight. Y’all make a scandal by putting a debut in the middle of a midseason – and fight her champion nonetheless…”

Vlad just smirked and Runner lit a red cigar with shining eyes,” a fight between halfas, ain’t that an idea,” he muttered, awestruck and stubbed his cigar in an ashtray, one of his two slaves held out to him. He miscalculated the distance and stubbed it into her forearm.

The girl not so much as blinked. It made Danny sick.

"I hope I haven’t made your evening turn sour," came it amused from Vlad and Runner waved him off with a broad grin,” oh no, this is a special night for me anyway. The greatest catch this season. And I have you to thank, since you the one who recommended that hunter Skulker for the job. The title as the ghost zones greatest hunter, surly is his to claim.”

Up upon the stage a female specter stepped up to the microphone and smiled with big white teeth, "good evening. I have the pleasure of leading the auction here tonight and would like to open up with the first group. Starting the bids as soon as the presentation is over and let your bids know with the provided signs. "

She smiled her movie star smile and everyone's attention was sharpened when a group of naked people were ordered onto the stage. Danny dropped his jaw.

This was no ordinary auction. It was a _slave auction_.

Runner laughed thunderous when a woman tried to prevent herself from being separated from her baby and were whipped back into the group, while the baby was shown to the crowd. Danny clenched his teeth and sent the ghost at their table a scowl when he wasn’t looking.

The ghost seems to thrive here and if Danny had understood his rant, this was his auction. He was a slave trader.

”Fine breed. Got them from my home state too. Texa’s human population will always have a special place I my heard, that’s sure’nuff,” Runner chiming with a hand over his cold dead core and held laughter in his small eyes.

Vlad smiled politely without the slightest sign of disgust or dismay, which just made the teenagers more furious. It became clear to them, that the only one Vlad had intention of helping here was the halfa. He didn’t care for the innocent on the stage.

"I've heard Walker claiming something similar once. However, I must say I prefer Wisconsin over other states, " Vlad said neutral and rotated his wine around in the wineglass. Giving it more air.

”Uh huh, Walker the prison ward, ma’ brother and friend, but not in blood sure’nuff. He still has a reward on your head Y’all know.”

“Oh I’m aware, he still hasn’t gotten over the fact that I’m a halfa and must find some way to place me under his rules. Still haven’t succeed, so I am still free to move as I please, but you know dear Walker,” came it with a gentle laughter from Vlad and the two ghosts looked at each other with appreciative smile and said in unison, ” _that’s against the rules_.”

Danny was getting nauseous from all their friendly chatter, dipped in sticky formalities and aristocratic trivialities. But it was better to focus on the two business men, than to listen to the screams and crying from the stage, interfere with the bidders’ laughter and merciless raising of signs.

This same distaste and discomfort could be seen in the goth and geek faced, who rocked from one leg to the other, in an attempt to get the blood running around and prevent their feet from becoming weary.

Vlad proceeded to talk tirelessly, but Runner noticed the two teens and pointed at them with a thick green finger,” say Plasmius, those fine lookin’ slave of yours – they not from here. Homebred? No, no,” he said with professional face and inspected the two teenagers as if they were cattle,” tamed. Uh huh, I can tell from just lookin’, I tell Y’all. This are good ol’ American humans, you tamed them you’re self?”

“I would say so, but perhaps they need a little more discipline, if yours is anything to measure by,” came it amused from Vlad, but with a clear hidding threat in the teens direction. Danny made a silent plea to the mightier forces.

Just by looking at Sam, it was clear she was _this_ close to slash his throat and make a scene – mission or not.

”I see – but if you wanna make a little trade for a breed clean pair in the future, you know where to find me.”

Up on the stage the last group had been sold and the ghost gave a short presentation of the single slaves, who would be presented now. It was obvious there were expected higher bids here and when a young boy with angelic features were brought forth onto the scene, the starting bid was set to one million gold pieces.

Runner lit another cigar and inhaled with a satisfied look,” I spotted that little treasure in some institution – funny that humans would brin’ their offsprin’s to some buildin’, with caretaking strangers, rather than givin’ them an proper education at home. The world is not like in my days. The real days I tell Ya. But it makes my job easier, so I ain’t complain’.”

A little ghost girl pulled her father’s sleeve with a pointing finger in the boy's direction and the ghost bid without further interest. When the boy was sold to him, he got the boy brought down to his table, where the little ghost girl received him as if he were a puppy on Christmas Eve.

The next on the scene was a young Korean woman with long black hair and most of the bids came from male ghosts and a few females.

"If what you say about your boss is correct, then I suggest a quick meeting." Vlad leaned against Runner in a friendly gesture and the second ghost inhaled interested,” I like that, chap. I talk to the mistress and arrange a meetin’ next –”

“I was thinking about in an hour.”

Runner choked and needed help from one of his slaves, who slammed him sharply in the back. When he got control over himself, his eyes were swimming and his cigar were shaking in his hand,” a-an _hour!?_ ”

As the businessman he was, Vlad took no pity of his partner’s obvious anguish, but continued to press him without mercy,” yes, an hour. If you call her now, I am sure she can find a free slot in her schedule and make it possible. This is an important matter after all. I don’t think she would want to miss such an opportunity.”

Runner looked at him in shock, but seemed to get his antics back under control and leaned back in the deep chair,” why such a hurry, Plasmius? The midseason ain’t running anywhere soon and the mistress are quit tight on schedule these days. Right before the final tournament and everythin’. It’s impossible.”

“Oh, I’m sure she can squish a little chat in. I’m afraid I have too much business back in the human world to wait for another meeting opportunity. A meeting is necessary, my friend. But since this is problem, how about we make a compromise? You mentioned she would be interested in breeding material.”

Danny didn’t know what Vlad was talking about, but little red light was lit in Runners eyes, “uh huh, that was mention, yes. The mistress has taking a likin’ to the idea of breedin’ several halfas for a while now and your boy seems to be of the right caliber.”

He looked at Danny with a avidly gaze and Danny felt his stomach end somewhere down his diaphragm. Did they seriously considering what he thought they did?

Oh god.

”I promise you five samples, if you arrange the meeting today, " Vlad continued with a neutral face and Danny gathered his jaw up off the floor, “you _what!?_ ”

Runner and Vlad looked at him now. Vlad with irritation and Runner with sadistic amusement,” sonny looks like he could use a little bit of trainin’ and discipline. I could train him if you like?”

Vlad didn’t release Danny with his eyes and found a small remote in his tunic without breaking eye contact, “no, young Phantom just need a little reminder.”

Danny stared confused at the remote as Vlad pressed one of the buttons. Electricity shot through Danny’s body and he opened his mouth in a silent scream. Sam moved toward him, but was stopped by Tucker that held her back.

They looked stunned as Danny collapsed over the table. His body shaking after the electricity’s repercussion. None of the other tables seemed to have noticed anything and the two business men returned to their negotiation, without giving Danny more attention.

Danny panted and grasp his aching head. His hand moved to the slave-collar around his neck. It was warm and hummed quietly.

This was no fake; it was a real slave-collar.


	8. *Knocks a 13x9 pan of brownies off the ghost bake sale table* Fight me Helen!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!  
> I apologies for the short chapters - the next couple of chapters should be longer and possible better  
> hope you enjoy  
> comments are always appreciated
> 
> * * *

Danny stared ahead as they left the slave auction and followed Vlad along with Sam and Tucker, as ducklings following their mother. The peace lasted until they had all gathered in the limo again and the door was firmly closed.

Plasmius must have expected it and grabbed Danny's glowing hands the moment the teenager tried to close them around his blue throat.

”You bastard!”

Vlad grinned maliciously and sent Danny back into the seat with an ectoblast. Three duplicates appeared beside each of the teenagers and forced them to keep still while he rummaged through the minibar without a care. The epitome of calm and collected.

”You are jumping to conclusions, Daniel. What is it you young people say? _Chill?”_

”Like hell we will! These are real slave-collars! You tricked us!” Danny roared, trashing against the duplicate. How could he have been so stupid? He had stood there as another idiot, listened to his archenemy, shallowed every word and forgotten the most important rule of all.

Never trust Vlad Masters.

It was so clear it hurt to even think about it. How could they have missed something so painfully obvious? Vlad didn’t care about some enslaved halfa. He had discovered a market where everything could be owned and taken a liking to a game where he could force Danny to fight for his own amusement.

Danny would be forced to fight in an arena and if he knew Vlad right, the half-ghost would use Sam and Tucker against him and threatening them with death or worse if Danny didn’t cooperate. They weren’t here to save this halfa. They were here to take her place in a gladiator game.

Desperation and pain filled Danny’s green vision. They would never get to see the human world again. Not him, not Tucker. Nor Sam. They had followed the wolf as pious lambs right into the slaughterhouse.

Danny screamed in rage.

A series of slight clicks got all of them to stop their struggles. They all stared down at their collars. They were now open and harmless in their laps, where they had fallen from their necks. Vlad had released them with a press from his remote. He looked at them with a crocked smile and lidded eyes.

"The sight of your desperation and hopelessness, almost make me forgive you for the mess you made of my suite. _Almost_ , “ he chuckled softly, clearly having a blast.

”We have half an hour before the collars will be needed again, so pack them neatly away where you know where to find them," Vlad said and rummaged through the minibar and found three glasses," I expect you to respect and understand that I don’t serve minors, so you can only choose between soft drinks and ice water. Any preference, Mr. Foley, Mr. Manson? Daniel?"

None of them were emotional collected enough to answer him quite yet and Tucker sank heavy into the seat, "whoa, I was sure you would keep us as slaves here and use Danny as a gladiator for the rest of our lives. I need a Mountain Dew. "

Sam went to her throat with a trembling hand and rummaged the other through her sweaty hair,” yeah, me too…I-I take an ice-water.”

”Coke,” Danny muttered still beside himself. They all sat with their refreshments and shared a silence no one seemed to know if it would be wise to break. The only one who seemed to be in control was Vlad, rotating his wine with a lazy motion.

He had called his duplicates back and seemed to smile over a private joke. He snorted when he caught Danny eyes, losing his cool and burst into a laughing fit.

Danny shook his head,” you got a sick sense of humor, fruitloop.” That only seemed to make Vlad laugh harder.

-

The meeting with the mysterious halfa’s mistress, turned out to be held behind a white door with a delicate vines design and grape carving.

When they had moved further south through the town, the limo had arrived and parked in a large area where the doors of all types and sizes floated freely in the green sphere and opened up to countless ghost lairs.

It was so normal in relations to the rest of the Soul Center, that Danny almost felt at home and back in the ghost zone he knew and felt safe in. The limousine stopped in the open air and placed them outside of the mysterious door.

Vlad flew out, while Danny hold his friends by their waist and followed. Tucker, Sam and Danny were once again equipped with their slave-collars, a little more willing now, when they knew they were not permanent and only for the sake of appearances.

(Danny had been given a long lesson about why Vlad had been forced to use the remote and in the end Danny had seen the logic in it - it was all for show. Everything had to be authentic, if they wanted to succeed in this – but that didn’t mean he liked it one bit!).

Vlad flew over and lifted a hand to knock on the door, when the sound of shattered chinaware penetrated through the door and the sound of an angry voice growling on the other side reached them. Something bigger and heavier than a plate was smashed somewhere behind the door and the voice dashed to the hysterical.

Vlad pulled wisely away from the door and looked just as shocked as the others.

"Wow, sound like some disdained housewife is one the loose," Sam said and immediately thought of her mother and her temper tantrums, "maybe we should come back later?"

Before any of them could make a decision, the door was ripped open and a perplexed Runner received them and stuck them a big smile - they noted, however, that he had shut the door behind him and leaned heavy against it, like he was trying to keep something from coming out.

The ghost failed to wiped a sweat drop of his forehead without their notice,” Plasmius, lovely weather am I right?” he began embarrassed and gave Vlad a handshake,” Mistress just got a moment to spare, care for some whisky? It’s first class Balcones.”

Danny and the others shared a look and even Vlad frowned, as they watched Runner nervously checked the other side of the door, before opening it wide.

They followed him through the door, where he led them to a large spacious living room. The place welled of minimalism and broad American style with furniture in white and gray colors, making Danny think of those expensive advertisements for home furnishing, that only businessmen and their stone-cold housewives could afford.

Runner seemed small and out of place in the room, but settled in a loan chair, as if he had done this many times before. He received help from one of his slaves in order to light his cigar, since his hands were shaking too much to control a small ecto-ray from his finger.

When he had inhaled and started relaxing, the slave withdrew and turned back to the open corner he had come from and joined his twin. Their white suits fitted perfectly into the room's decor and made them almost invisible.

A savage sound of clicking heels got the little man to live up and he smiled graciously,” oh if it ain’t the mistress. Plasmius let me introduce you to ma’ little wife and sweetheart –”

“Sip it, you fool!”

Danny and the other looked up to find a tall slender ghost woman bursting into the room, with an expression on her sharp face that was anything but friendly. It occurred to Danny that it had to be her, who had furnished the house, due to the fact that it matched her gray business suit and white pointy pumps.

Like her husband she had a green skin tone, but where he was blond, the woman had a purple hairstyle that was ultra-short and screamed of white religious suburban soccer mom.

”Linda, honeybun -”

”Don’t you _Linda_ me!” she hissed furiously and snatched his cigar,” I told you not to smoke inside the lair, your useless piece of ectoplasm!”

She turned to Plasmius when he stood and cleared his throat authoritatively, “Mrs. Runner, I presume? Let me introduce myself, I am Vlad Plasmius.”

Danny could nothing but admire Vlad for daring to draw attention to himself. The ghost looked as if she would kill everything that dare to move in her presents and turned to him with a look that could make grown men cry in fear.

”I know who you are!” she snapped and stuck a finger into his face, still holding the lit cigar, ” you that smartass armature, who thinks he can come into _my_ home, _my_ territory and _my_ league and tell _me_ to step aside for a debutant! Who the _fuck_ , do you think you are!?”  


Vlad narrowed his eyes and leaned against her, in order to offset the visible tension in the room and intimidate her with his height advantage by five millimeters,” oh don’t be so conceited, _your league_?” he jeered coldly, “that halfa of yours are only five double gold champion, never defeated and most winning ghost to ever anticipate in the Cube ever and it’s midseason. Don’t make me laugh.”

The two ghosts stared at each other and matched glares in an intense battle. Lightning almost occurred between them and their hands started to glow. They'd probably jumped each other throats, if Runner hadn’t wedged himself in between them, “anyone tried the whiskey? I think it’s a grand vintage, too good to waist over some useless banter. Right Linda? Sweetheart? _Hon?_ ”

The soccer mom ghost, now better known as _‘Linda’_ , sighed and sat down in one of the sofas, “fine, waste my time, why don’t you? Come with your little offer so I can throw you all out of here.”

Vlad returned to his own sofa with a humph and accepted his own whiskey glass, “oh come now, Linda. This isn’t just some debutant I am about to offer you a tournament with. This is the only other halfa in existent other than myself. If I sent him into the lower ranks, the sponsors would be offended. The only two halfas ever to participate in the ghost arena and never let them meet in fight? Waste of god potential, wouldn’t you agree?”

Linda gave him an unimpressed look and emptied her glass in on turn, “don’t try threaten me, half-ghost. I know you been out and advertising for you and that halfa out from the province. Some kid whom acting as a self-made guard dog around a human made ghost-portal at the northern stats.”

She snorted in disgust, “making a bunch of sponsors wanting a halfa tournament, isn’t gonna hide the obvious – your halfa is nothing compared to my champion. As you said, she is the most winning ghost to ever participate in the game of the Cube and has never lost a fight. Your halfa is an ectoplasm-blob compared to her. His not even gonna outlive the first minute and no one is gonna watch a fight, that’s not even going to last more than a minute.”

Vlad gave her an arrogant smile and turned to Danny, “tell me, Daniel, how many times have you been in a fight with the demon-ghost Nocturne?”

Linda watched him with eyes like a falcon and Danny felt his tongue stick to his teeth, “uhm…twice?”

“And the weather ghost Wortex?”

“…five times.”

“The Fright Knight?”

“Several tim-”

“Skulker?”

“Once a month.”

“Undergrowth?”

Linda stopped Vlad’s rant by slamming her glass down on the counter, “where do you think you going with this, Plasmius?”

Vlad smiled in mocking innocence, satisfied by the sight of his opponent’s clear anger, “I am simply emphasizing a point, Linda. These ghosts are feared and admired through the entire ghost zone and have all been in fights with Danny Phantom here. And I’m not even going to begin with the case of Pariah Darks second fall. He has never lost a fight and always walked away as the victorious one. Does that sound like, oh what did you call it – an _ectoplasm-blub_?”

Vlad sounded genuinely proud and it made Danny’s face flush. Only his friend’s, Clockwork and Jazz had ever appreciated or bragged about his strength and skills. It was weird hearing such praise from Vlad.

Embarrassing even.

Linda made clicking sounds with her nails. They hit the glass in loud rhythmical beats and she drew her sharp eyebrows together in thought, “fine,” she said in a cold tone, “I admit it, that’s impressive, he doesn’t look like much, but apparently all halfas seems to look fragile and sweet.”

That made Plasmius scowl and she smiled in a sinister manner, “I tell you what we do. You come see me tomorrow morning at the Cube and we let your debutant fight in one of the opening fights. That way his in the games and can show of, and the judges will have to let him in to the higher ranks. Let him prove himself to the Cube. Shouldn’t be so hard with all his zone fighting achievements, now would _it?_ ”

Runner peaked up when she pointed to him with a sharp manipulated nail, “we take the breed samples and let you meet us in the finals. That way your halfa can meet mine in half a season instead of waiting three.”

She stretched out her hand, “deal?”

Sam, Tucker and Danny watched in unpleasant silence, as the two ghosts closed the deal with a bone-crushing handshake and smiled with mutual gazes, that promised burning hatred.

-

Sam woke up to Tucker’s cursing and opened a single eye. The poor geek was still in the process of cracking the locking codes to the broad collar, Vlad expected him to have ready due to tomorrow and Tucker had connected several wire to it and his PDA. Working on it all night.

He had barricaded himself inside the closet to have light without disturbing the others, but could still be heard through the door.

"God dammed!” Tucker muttered and Sam looked at her phone. 03:56.

Technical morning already. Hang in there, Tuck.

She sighed and turned around. And froze.

Danny was lying with eyes wide open and stared up at the ceiling. In the phones glow, he almost looked like Phantom, except for the icy blue eyes. She blinked surprised,” Danny?”

Danny Fenton, the boy and soon to be man, she had fought countless ghost battles with and seen evolve from a shy teenager that couldn’t even keep up his pants, to a ghost hero whose courage and laughter, no one quite seems to be able to stand at pair with, looked at her now with clouded eyes.

He was crying.

Sam felt a lump in her throat, as she found old traces of tears on his cheeks. He had been crying beside her while she slept. "Danny," she whispered horrified and sat up, "what's wrong?"

He was silent, but then sat up and put his arms around his knees, hiding his face, "it’s really nothing, Sam, I promise. Just go back to sleep."

He pretended he hadn’t seen her pitying gaze and tried discreetly to remove the traces of tears, "anyway, it was one of my duplicates, so in a way it wasn’t even me."

”Danny please,” she said in the dark. She couldn’t see him now that the phone went off, but she knew he could see her as clear as day, don’t shut me out – I can’t help you, if you don’t let me in.”

She turned on her phone again and saw him looking at her with a haunted expression, she only seen once in her life. The moment Danny Fenton returned from the portal and became Danny Phantom.

“I killed three men, Sam.”

Sam listened in astonishment as Danny told about what had happened during his trip to the city. On his way to look for halfa, he had come into battle with three fairies (Fairies? Damn) and murdered all of them by accident.

”They just turned to sand, Sam. They just…there’s not even a body to bury. How I’m supposed to live with this?”

Sam didn’t really know, but couldn’t really tell Danny that. What kind of friend would that make her?

She bit her lip and put an arm around him,” it was an accident, Danny. You didn’t know. You were just gonna neutralize them, to help that shop owner. You couldn’t know that they were flammable and I know this doesn’t sound right, but…sometimes when people attack you and doesn’t give you a choice…they just have it coming, you know?”

Danny buried his face in his knees again with a groan, but she could hear him smile – sad, but smiling, “that’s a pretty shitty comfort, Sam. But I take it.”

Danny lay down now that he had hopes of being able to close an eye again. Sam combed his hair as he fell asleep in her lap and soon breath in a rhythmic pace. Sam lay awake for a long time with an arm around him. She had smiled and played the understanding shoulder to cry on, but felt no peace as she held the boy close to her chest.

The bile of rage on her tungue and the sick fantasies of torture flashed behind her eyes, made her flex her fist in the sheets.

She had more than often been the friend the ghost hero would turn to in his weaker moments and she always welcomed him, even if the matter on his troubled mind have been minor or something stupid. She didn’t care. She really didn’t, even though he would sometimes brush her of, saying it was complicated or nothing.

Danny thought she didn’t understand him and in many ways he was probably right. Sam Manson didn’t know what is was like to be a half-ghost or what it felt like to have powers and all the issues that came with the package of being a hero and freak of nature.

But she knew something and that something was Danny Fenton.

She knew he had a heart of gold and could be so selfless at times it hurt to watched. She knew there was a carefree spirit in him and possible always would be, just as sure, that he would always take up a fight no matter the cost or sacrifice, if it meant the safety of his loved ones.

Danny was a hero to the core and the boy she had loved since eighth grade, when he had asked her to join him and Tucker at their loser lunch table.

Danny was one of a kind and precious, too precious for this cruel cold world, that demanded to much of him and that carefree heart of his. A heart Sam would go through fire to protect a cherish, even if it meant as a friend and nothing more.

Sam gritted her teeth and pulled him closer, as to protect him from the rest of the world.

Danny had been wounded today. Not by some visible wounds that could be healed with his ghost healing, or a blow from a bully he would explain to his mother as scrapes from falls and clumsiness.

Danny had been wounded on his soul. Someone had placed an invisible, but permanent scar on Danny and that someone was Vlad Plasmius.

Had Sam been a ghost, her eyes would had glowed in the dark.


	9. I’m here for your entertainment!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have returned from the hells of university exams and present you another chapter of whatever this is  
> I post this as I run to my next oral history exam and hope you like it  
> it is short, but all i can make right now  
> wish me luck!  
> hope you enjoy!  
> comments are always welcome
> 
> * * *

Vlad was in a good mood.

That would actually be an understatement, he seemed to glow with expectation. Unlike the man Danny, Sam and Tucker arrived from their shared bedroom, looking straight dead.

The teens hadn’t gotten much sleep and the whole adventure had gradually drained their emotional reserves and frayed their nerves thin as violin strings.

Tucker hadn’t actually slept. He had jumped out of the closed (no, not that kind of closet) and declared with red tired eyes that he had gained control over the collar.

They had celebrated it by almost falling asleep in their breakfast and Tucker had to be helped to smear his toast, since he tried to come butter on his hand and take a bite of it.

They fixed it with energy-drink. (Apparently everything could be brought by the room service here.)

It was Sunday and luckily for them, the last day they had to be here, so they had packed their backpacks and left the suite to the cleaning service (turned out to be a witch), who had gasped as soon as she had seen the condition of the room.

But at that time they had all escaped safely into the elevator and even if there would be consequences, Vlad would have a gold card to wave, so in the end they all got out of the hotel without problems. Sam saw Danny sigh in ecstasy as they jumped into the Fenton Specter-speeder and he threw himself into one of the seats.

Vlad on the other hand, seemed to miss his limousines comfort, but nothing really seemed to be able to put a damper on his good mood today, so he prospered surprisingly and could actually be considered manageable on the trip to The Cube.

The Cube, as they had been instructed during breakfast - was an arena where only ghosts could fight and compete. If you were to believe him, it was the largest entertainment source in all of the ghost zone, but only open to a handful of spectators – everyone else had to watch the games on the screens outside The Cube.

Sam had a hard time driving and watching at the same time. On the way down through the city center, they would see that the largest screens now had been overtaken by quick flashes of matches from The Cube and only disturbed by the usual advertisements, when they fit in between battles.

Ghosts of all species and sizes participated in what seemed to be a gladiator arena and creatures on the street cheered all for their favorites.

"Just how often do they hold these matches again?" Sam asked confused and steered past a bunch of female creatures, who were all about to swoon over a male ghost on the screen.

Vlad watched the screens with little interest, "as far as I am aware - once a month. But there is also held private matches, only for selected audience too. If you behave in exemplary manner, maybe I will take you in and see one."

"No, thank you," came it from Danny and Sam observed him in the rearview mirror. He stared at the screens they passed with disgust and anger. Sam knew Danny could let his anger get the best of him once in a while, but until now it had never completely consumed him or made him do something incredible stupid.

She hoped that today wouldn’t be the first time either. His story last night had obviously put its marks, but Sam had a nourish of hope that Danny could get through it somehow. That he would stop blaming himself and be his own carefree self again.

Personally, Sam was almost of the same view as Vlad without knowing it. Those fairies deserved it and the world was a better place without scum like them, but that didn’t mean that Danny should be the one with their blood on his hands…dust…sand – whatever! She wishes she had never let him sent that duplicate out.

They should have remained in the suite, watched torture on the flat screen and danced limbo as the irresponsible teenagers they were. Not out there and committing murder. Even if it was in self-defense and a total accident.

Danny wasn’t a murderer and would probably never be, no matter what Plasmius should wish. Even if it would cost her life, Sam would always make sure to stand in the way of Vlad and his sick plans for Danny. That was a promise and a promise she intended to keeping no matter what.

The Cube emerged from the city as a big black box (literally a big black cube) and seems to suck all the flashing lights and neon glow to it, like a big black hole. The Specter-speeder was reflected in the black surface and Sam led them down to the street level, where they could park between two black ghost vehicles.

 _We have arrived_ ," Sam announced with a doomsday voice and it seems to ease the tense mood of both Tucker and Danny. Vlad watched as they closed their slave-collars around their necks and Tucker hid his PDA in his jacket.

He only needed a simple wire now that he knew which codes he would have to crack and with a wide grin, he found a small chip in his backpack and placed it on the wire. It became invisible. 

"Mission impossible - ghost collar version, is born."

Sam gave him a high-five and turned to Vlad, "now what?"

"Now," he began with a cunning grin, "we wait."

"What?" came it confused from the teenagers, but Vlad ignored them and disappeared out the door. They followed, but not without sending him dirty looks and were led to an entry where a large monstrosity of a burly ghost-guard sat in a guardhouse. He looked up at them with a careless face.

Even if the guy was alone, Sam was pretty sure he could guard the gate by pretty much anything and possible eat whatever dared to pass without his supervision. 

"Vlad Plasmius, I have an appointment with Mrs. Runner. "

The guard checked his list and let them in with a grunt. As soon as the door closed behind them, it became dark and Sam and Tucker grabbed for something to lean on. Danny took their hands and led them safely through the darkness.

Sam could hear a low rumble somewhere ahead, but couldn’t put a finger on what it was. A large machine? The sea perhaps? Indore Ocean? Whatever it was, it had a dark foreboding hue to it and she squeezed Danny’s hand.

He squeezed back.

The light returned as a sharp contour and she had to squint to avoid being dazzled. The rumbling from before increased, but was still unable to identify. Tucker blinked in the artificial light and they both let go of Danny's hands, now that they could orientate by themselves again.

They stood on a platform, from which they could look down to the rest of the vast room. It kind of reminded Sam of the entrance to the Men In Black Center, but instead of aliens and agents, the people under them was all ghosts.

Ghosts moved around to different doors and small stalls as at a sports tournament, lightly fenced stalls stood strategic placed around in the hall and separate various small teams of specters. It reminded Sam in a strange way on the animal awards, her mother had forced her to attend with her in the past.

Exactly as with those horses, riders and trainers, she could see small groups of ghosts clad in suits and overalls, who swarmed around particular ghosts who were dressed in armor and weapons. Getting ready for battle.

They couldn’t spot Linda Runner or her husband anywhere and if Sam had any understanding of space dimensions, she could easily figure out that this hall only filled a quarter of the rest of the building.

"We are to meet her on the tribune, follow me children."

Sam scowled at Vlad and his bossing around, but he was the one who controlled this show, so there was nothing else to do, but to follow him and play ducklings. Danny's eyes jumped from one warrior to another, obviously looking for something.

Sam figured he was looking for the halfa and couldn’t blame him. She herself was curious to see the infamous female halfa and reveal the mystery that was her existence. Sam wondered if Vlad had a plan how to get the halfa out and unseen of the city.

Could the Specter-speeder race from a horde of angry sports men and sponsors?

Probably, but not without scratches.

The rumbling, which gradually was sending vibrations up through her legs and spine, increased forces as they reached the doors and went through. The vibration was moving from the ground to her spine and on to her arms. Making her hair roots rise from her head, her teethes sing and gave her goose bumps.

She blinked and suddenly knew what the sound meant. The hallway ended to the sound of a roar and they stood on a tribune with views down to the arena and rows around it.

It was the sound of applause.

-

Linda Runner awaited them on the southern platform. She welcomed them with a wrinkled nose and a glance in disgust. Vlad held an unchanged business facade, but with a childish glee hiding just beneath as if nothing could to be able to get to him today.

Sam wonder why.

Yes, they would finally get to see – and hopefully rescue – the halfa today, but was it really enough to slap a big smile on Plasmius ugly face? He looked like a kid on Christmas Eve. A rich man's kid.

"Linda, how nice. Will we get to see your halfa in the arena today?” he asked patronizing and looked down toward the arena, as if he expected to find the female halfa there.

Linda clicked her tongue and looked at Vlad as he was a smashed insect on her windshield, "my champion does not fight in the lower ranks. As if. Her opening match is not until later tonight. In addition, shouldn’t you be worrying more about your _own_ halfa?” She sent Danny a look," he is on in about two hours."

Sam saw Danny tighten up as he always did right before a fight. If he weren’t already in ghost form, he would probably have changed now, with his signature yell ‘Going ghost!’ – or at least he did in the past. He seemed to have grown out of it. Shame.

"Oh do not worry, Phantom is ready for his debut - shall we?" He asked in a silky smooth voice and gestured with his hand.

Vlad split in two and moved in two directions. One Plasmius walked with Linda to the rows, while the other gave Danny a slight nudge in the back and began to lead him back to the doors. Tucker was pulled in Danny’s direction, while Sam got a glance from the other Vlad and followed him with a bad feeling in her guts.

She would rather have been following Danny and helping him get ready for his fight by supporting him in some way, but she didn’t seem to have a choice. That didn’t prevent her from pouting though.

Spectators, most of whom appeared to be ghosts, were gathered around the arena in long rows of seats, in the same way as in an amphitheater and large screens showed details from the fighting in the ring of sand beneath them.

Runner and his slave twins awaited them in a private VIP box and greeted Vlad with a warm handshake, before both of the ghosts sat down and watched the fight with mild attention. Linda stood with crossed arms, even though there was a chair for her.

She stared down at the arena as if it had offended her personally and would frown when the fighters made tirades against each other. Muttering to herself about stagey, bad position and other related topics.

Sam placed herself behind Plasmius and wondered for a brief moment who she was in company with. The right Plasmius or the duplicate?

She sent the Asian twins a glace, but none of them seemed to notice or care. They seemed more dead than all of the ghost combined. Sam shuddered and turned to the arena.

Down in the arena the two participants fought with weapons, that seem to be part of their bodies. The smallest one was a red ghost, whose flaming hair sent long tongues into the arena and struck the shield, her larger and more muscular opponent had made of his own ectoplasm.

He looked like a golem or cyborg, with similar missiles launches on his shoulders and armor parts that made her think of Skulker. He threw himself against the smaller ghost with a roar and knocked himself into the wall, when she swung away like a matador in a bullfight.

She turned to the spectators and waved her arms to get their favor. They applauded enthusiastically and the screens zoomed in on the ghost and her huge grin.

The little winner dance didn’t last long. The cyborg curled into a spiked boulder and drove to crush or kill his little opponent. The fire ghost jumped out of the way and started twilling, making her flaming hair slash out and cut the air like flaming blades.

Her opponent rose to a higher level and shot several purple ectoblast at her. She got hit and curled up under a shield to protect herself and possible buy time to heal her body, while the cyborg ghost attacked her with ecto-blasts.

"Any favorites in the arena, Runner?" Vlad asked, when the two ghosts had chatted about the slave business for a while. Runner looked down at the arena and pointed to the small fire ghost, who had jumped back to the fight and cut her opponent in the face with her flared nails.

”Uh huh, usually I rut for ma’ own creations only, but that little Sheila has a fire burning in her. She’s the favorite of the lower matches and – “

Cheer erupt as the male warrior got close enough to strike the small ghost with a claw of crystal ectoplasm and pierced her, as a child who stake a needle through a fly. Sam gasped and stepped back.

“Aw, shame,” Runner said and shod his cigar,” I keep forgettin’ that fire is trumped by crystals. That teach me to cheer for one of my own catches.”

The two ghosts laughed refined and Sam wanted to beat them with something. Sam didn’t like ghosts. She had seen enough of them to know they were twisted spirits, who only thought about creating havoc and planting fear in order to make themselves stronger where they could. There were good ghosts occasionally, but never enough of them.

But within the years she had been familiar with the world of the undead, she had never – Never! Seen a ghost take another specters life.

But no matter what she may thought she knew and understood, it didn’t change the fact that a ghost was dying down in that arena. The small fire-ghost had collapsed on the ground with a large spike sticking out of her chest.

The screens zoomed in, took in the sight of the fire ghosts begging as her opponent grabbed her hair and began pulling with a boot placed firmly on her shoulder. Sam couldn’t possible have heard it, but the sound was evident in her own head, like a morbid echo.

The wet sound of ectoplasmic wires snapping and ghost tendons ripping apart. Slowly the sand of the arena turned green, colored by the headless specter and the match winner showed the severed head to the audience's great amusement. The applause vibration spread to the VIP floor.

Sam had to throw up.

In some naive and childless means, she had always fully believed that ghosts would stop the fight when there opponent fainted or was captured. She had clearly misunderstood the meaning of gladiator fight in this case and only thought Vlad was joking.

That they'd would fight like normal ghosts – ghosts as she knew them – and the loser would have to be dragged out in the worst case. Her inner thought became the voice of Skulker. All his treads of killing Danny and taking his pelt to lay on his bed.

Claims they always ignored or thought nothing about. She had never in her wildest dreams could have imagined that ghosts could die – again.

None of the ghosts seemed to notices her as she emptied her stomach in a trash bind by the farthest end of the VIP box. She heaved for breath and gulped.

This was not just fighting between ghost slaves. It was a fight to the death, where the loser would get to discover if there were anything in the further beyond.

A speaker infiltrated the applause.

“ _For our next fight we like to present to you a special debut only seen once before in the Cube’s glorious history! We bring you, Danny Phantom! The halfa ghost-boy!_ ”

The rows went crazy and Sam’s ears went ringing. She stared in horror and ran to the VIP’s windows, ignoring the ghosts that shoot her annoyed glances.

“ _Danny,_ ” she whispered.


	10. Everything gets better with a fast forward training montage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm just gonna post this chapter a day earlier, since I have an exam tomorrow morning - good for you and bad for me, I guess  
> hope you enjoy it  
> comments are always welcome
> 
> * * *

“Danny.” 

The white haired halfa snapped out of his thoughts and got back to the present, “huh? Oh, sorry…”

Tucker gave him a look of concern and watched as Danny removed his ecto-pistol, his thermos and its shoulder holster. Tucker placed it safely in his jacket for later.

Danny wouldn’t be needing them in the arena or the current training and bringing weapons of any kind that wasn’t made from his own core, was forbidden in the arena.

He decided to keep his cloak on, knowing that it wouldn’t get in the way and began stretching. Getting warmed up a bit.

“ _Soooooo_ Vlad, I fight some ghost, win the fight and then they just gonna show us the halfa? Sound easy don’t you think? A little _too_ easy.”

The older halfa examined Danny with a calculating gaze, stroking his goatee in thought, “actually on the contrary, Daniel. When they see you in battle and get an idea of what they are up against, the unbearable specter to Mrs. Runner will have her title as the only powerful halfa master tainted and will start look in panic for a way to collect her shattered honor up from the floor.”

Danny and Tucker shared a look, while Vlad didn’t seem to showed any real interest in the matter. It eased Danny a little that the man seemed to trust he could do this. The teen was starting to get a little nervous actually.

“But will that really make her lead us to the halfa?” Danny asked a little confused.

Vlad circled Danny and pulled the cloak tentatively to see if the texture would break or stretch, “hmm, it’s not as stylish as mine, but I knew you come around,” he mumbled to himself before focusing on Danny’s question.

“She probably thinks she can intimidate me and scare us out of the game, by leading us to some horror show, where her hybrid is giving a demonstration of extreme cruelty. I’ve heard a rumor that she's making one of those private shows later tonight. She will probably try to make me back out of a future fight and regain her territory by showing of her halfa. The expected, really.”

Danny and Tucker gulped and Vlad seemed content with Danny’s person and made a pink shield, “Daniel, if you please.”

He floated in the air, waiting for the teen to aim at him. They had moved out of the crowded areal, where the specters and their champions flourished, to a more private place, in order for Danny to warm up before the fight – and if Danny had understood right – Vlad would train him.

The idea was not strange to any of them. Vlad had told Danny from their very first encounter, that he had intentions of making Danny powerful and more advanced with his power, but the offer had come with an ultimatum. One which Danny had refused without a seconds thought.

If he had to renounce his father and become Vlad Masters little evil apprentice in order to become powerful, he rather stay weak. Stay true to himself and get better with time and discover new powers by chance in his parents’ lab.

But right now, Vlad was giving him it for free and without any strings attached. Danny had his pride, but couldn’t let this chance go to waste.

“Don’t mind if I do, fruitloop.”

Danny shot toward him like a white arrow and fired a powerful ecto-blast against the shield. It held, but was pressed against Vlad and beat some of the air out of him. Danny came right on and fired a couple of quick rays.

Vlad averted all as one with no further problems, waiting for Danny to strike him again. Danny tried to attack Vlad from two angles by making a duplicate and they struggled to penetrate through Vlad fluid shields with explosive ecto-energy disks.

Vlad took everything Danny shot at him without a word and only after Danny had made another six duplicates and shot at him with energy balls and waves, he let his shields fall. Danny blinked in surprised when Vlad disappeared from his position in the air.

The duplicates turned haphazardly in a search for the older halfa and Danny gasped as three of his duplicates was sliced by Vlad electrical disk. Slicing through the air like a fast razor blade. The older halfa smiled maliciously when the three remaining Phantoms tuned to him at once.

Vlad obviated easily all their punches and sent the right Danny down into the ground with a well-aimed kick.

"I suggest you use your ice-powers, my boy. You've had half a year to developed them without my influence, show me what you learned on your own."

Danny scowled at him and ascended from the small crater his crash had made, “god, you such a stalker!”

The duplicates shot glowing snowballs at Plasmius, keeping him occupied, while Danny took a deep breath and concentrated on his newest power. He had developed it last winter and finally been able to assemble the shape, without having it breaking or splintered in his hands.

Vlad actually looked impressed when ice crawled up Danny's hands and shaped itself into a long scythe of clear ice.

“Wooo! Nailed it, dude!” Tucker cheered with a grin from the sideline. The geek found his PDA and started playing _Ice Ice Baby_.

Danny turned his scythe a few turn in his hand for show with a satisfied grin and got his duplicates to jump aside in the last second, in order for him to swing it against his arch enemy head. Vlad dodged as Danny swung the scythe again and again.

A long knife constructed itself in Vlad’s fist and the two blades merged in a rain of ice and red sparks.

"Excellent weapon," Vlad said without any strength effort, while Danny pushed with all his strength to keep his blade span, "but it has its shortcomings and obvious weaknesses."

Danny divided his body with a squeal when another blade appeared in Plasmius other hand and stuck towards his core. Vlad threw him off with a powerful kick and attack Danny with swinging knives that danced and dashed through the air with shrilling sounds.

"No fair! This is a one-weapon battle!"

Vlad let him know just how much that concerned him, by giving him a high kick that got Danny's eyes to roll and see stars.

"Be glad I don’t have any real intention of killing you, boy, or this would have been over even before we even drew weapons."

“Yeah, yeah, and you also said you were going teach me something, but once again you nothing but big talk and cheating,” Danny responded tiredly and saw his opening. Vlad didn’t move when the scythe arches down on him in a hard straight curve.

Both Danny and Tucker gasped, when the scythe stopped a few centimeters from Vlad's face. The older halfa had dropped his knives and caught the long ice blade between his two bare hands, and held it firmly as a statue.

The man’s stone-face suddenly cracked into a malevolent grin and Danny’s eyes widened. Electric threads came to live in the man’s hands and jumped between Vlad’s fingers before running up the blade, followed the ice shaft and beyond to Danny, who screamed in pain as he got electrocuted.

The ice scythe shattered into a thousand pieces and Danny felt his two rings open around his middle, before he lost contact with Vlad's electricity and the pain ceased. The rings closed around his torso again and he remained ghost in the air, but not without feeling nauseous and weak in the limbs.

A fist hit his face with a hard smack and sent him back to the ground, where he remained lying this time.

“ _Urggg_ ,” Danny groaned and opened his eyes to the sight of Vlad standing over him, arms crossed in boring anticipation. The teen could taste a mix of blood and ectoplasm on his tongue and ran it over his teethes, “jokes on you, I still got all my teeth.”

“Oh for god’s sake, get up, Daniel. You have a tournament in less than an hour and you wasting my time with your complains.”

“You’re wasting my life.”

“Get up before I kick you, boy.”

Danny got up in second try and felt his head throb. A slight vibration in his core informed him that his speed healing had already begun. He turned to his fighting position again, but Vlad waved him off.

“No, I think you warmed up now, let’s get some basics started,” Vlad gestured for him to come closer and formed an electrical ball in his open palm. Danny and Tucker moved a little closer in order to see better.

“Now, do the same with your ice powers.”

Danny gave ham et look,” it’s not the same, Vlad. Ice and electricity doesn’t really work the same way.”

“Just do as I say.”

Danny rolled his eyes and formed a growing snowball in his palm, "satisfied?"

“We’ll see, now watch and follow my lead.”

Both Danny and Tucker watched along as Vlad electric ball began to grow in strength and became bigger. Danny didn’t know what Vlad wanted from him, but continued feeding his own ball with more juice and got it up on the same size as Vlad’s.

Vlad's ball was big enough to hide his hand now and seems to become unstable. Danny opened his mouth to warn him that he had to set the ball free or smother it before it exploded in his hand, but then something unexpected happened.

The red sphere changed to a deep purple and stopped growing. Vlad squeezed the ball lightly along its sides with his fingers and slowly the ball shrank. Its interior was filled with twisting lightning bolts and soon lost its transparency completely.

When the sphere was nothing more than a goofballs size, Vlad allowed it to shoot from his hand. It hit the black wall and exploded in a sea of electricity.

Danny and Tucker huddled together in fear, as electric lightning spread along the walls around them and pulled out a hellfire of flames behind it, ignited like liquid gasoline.

When it finally ended, the dark walls and ceiling were glowing reddish like a painful brand and small electrical sparkes jumped hither and thither. Vlad watched it in pleased mannerism and seemed to breathe in the burning air like an expensive perfume.

“Now, Daniel, I want you to do the same.”

-

Danny wasn’t usually afraid of a fight. Especially not against a ghost – _oh please_. He had beaten specters (be)for breakfast in nearly three years and made it his own personal sport. Ghosts didn’t frighten him, sometimes quite the opposite actually.

But the sound of the great audience and their booming excitement made his heart racing. It was like when he had to present a paper in class. They had expectations and he wasn’t sure he would be able to live up to them.

Danny felt like he had a light fever.

Tucker knew that face very well, "relax Danny. It's just a fight with a bit of audience. It's almost like when the news people catch you on camera during a fight back home. Just imagine they're frightened people who watches you from their hideouts. Or imagine them naked, it works for me some times."

“Tucker, ew! They're all ghosts!”

Tucker snorted and laughed. It eased some of Danny's nerves and he was happy that Tucker was here with him. He wished Sam had been here to, but you couldn’t have everything it seemed. Instead she would watch together with the audience and see him fight.

He told himself that he should just forget everyone else and just think of her and Tucker. They were the only ones on his inner audience seats. He would fight only for them.

Vlad appeared in the doorway and placed a hand on Danny's shoulder, "now Danny, its time."

He let his hand stay and led Danny with him and Tucker through the crowded preparatory room and Danny felt the apprehension return. He was really going to do it. He was going to fight in an arena.

“Listen,” Vlad muttered in a serious voice, "there are no actually rules, but try to drag the fight out for at least five minutes. You can use all the dirty tricks in the book and preferably some nobody has ever seen before, so don’t hold back. Wait to use your ice powers to after your opponents has played his trump card. There is a force field over the arena, so avoid flying upwards, otherwise you hit it. And most importantly, impress the audience, Daniel. Give them a show. Make me proud."

"I'm not doing this for you or them," Danny said offended, "I only go along with this, because it brings us closer to the halfa."

Vlad didn’t seem to have heard him, "your opponent seems to be a cyborg, I would go for his weak spots, such as elbows, face and knees. All natural armor openings actually. I trust in you, Badger."

“I’m still not -”

"Try to make it elegant and remember to show your trophy to the crowd before leaving the arena."

Danny looked up at him in confused, "what trophy?"

Vlad squeezed his shoulder in a soothing manner, "the trophy you take when you kill him of course."

Danny was given a push and stumbled forward. He looked horrified back from where he had fallen and found that a force field now separated him from Vlad and Tucker. One looked at him with expectations, the other in shock.

"What do you mean _kill him_!?" Danny yelled panicked as the force field pressed him further into the hallway leading to the arena, "wait! Vlad! What do you mean –"

His shouts were drowned out by the tremendous force that was the audience's applause. Danny turned around in perplexion and spotted the gate to the sandy battlefield. Wait…was it just him or had most of the sand turned green?

The force field pushed him further and he stumbled in. If the sound had been overwhelming in the hallway, it was horrifying now.

Millions of ghosts and unknown creatures enthroned over him and made the sand vibrate with their accumulated sound level. Danny hovered a centimeter above the ground to prevent the tremor to propagate into him and looked around.

Aesthetically short posts of sandstone were placed around in the arena and the walls that fenced the place looked smooth and impossible to climb. Danny peered into the crowd in hope of getting a glimpse of Sam, but didn’t find her.

There were simply too many faces. The many spotlights were blinding him.

He was startled when the door at the other end started to lift its force field. The crowd shouts rose a few octaves and Danny tried to get a grip on his breathing before he ended up hyperventilating. Why was he so nervous?

He was Danny Phantom, darn it! He could do this - did this!

Danny turned round and caught a glimpse of Tucker back at the corridor. He still looked shocked, but gave Danny two thumbs up nonetheless. At least he could count on Tucker.

He felt his pulse calm down and his heart rate drop to a normal level – at least for a halfa that is.

He was ready.

"Bring it on!” he shouted and the crowd cheered like crazy.

The screens zoomed in on his face and spelled his name with big letters – even informing his ghost level. The speaker came to life and a booming commentator laughed.

“ _Ladies and gentlemen, that’s Danny Phantom for you – our own new halfa male and debut! Give him a hand folks! A hand for the halfa!_ ”

Danny threw his hand up again and made the crowed chant his name. He even though he heard a few female voices screaming his name. Freaky.

“ _GHOST BOY! GHOST BOY! GHOST BOY!_ ”

Danny got down from his celebrity trip again, when the last of the force field relieved and a ghost stepped out into the arena. Danny’s eyebrows shot to his hairline, Vlad had not exaggerated.

The guy was a brute cyborg-like giant, with a surface that reminded Danny of purple stone or hard crystal. Like Skulker he seemed to have a fetish for missiles and rockets. Wasn’t that against the rules?

“ _The match between Cystone and Phantom is open for bids, ladies and gentlemen! Let the fight of the half-ghost and crystal core specter begin!”_

The cyborg moved into the light, spotted Danny and chuckled grimly, "only half dead, huh? I help you the rest of the way, kid.”

Danny sidestepped reflexively when a large steel fist slammed down on the place where he had floated just a second ago. The ghost pursued him heavily and made the earth resound, with feet that were as big as tree trunks.

Danny tried to put a little space between them and took off toward the more liberal air. The cyborg followed him with a loud laugh. Danny's ecto-shot was deflected by the ghosts armor-plated back without a scratch and two missiles was fired back at him.

Danny flew from them and discovered too late his mistake. The force field hit him like a brick wall and made him see stars. He shook it off not a second to late and chose a new route, when the missiles almost grazed him. Ghost-seeking missiles that is.

The many hours he had fought against Skulker, finally paid off and Danny did his favorite maneuver. He shot forward in high speed and began to spin rapidly like a drill. He watched behind his shoulder, as the missiles began to circle each other in an attempt to follow him.

They got closer and closer together, before finally colliding and explode to the audience entertainment.

Danny grinned, but his victory was short lived, as the giant broke through the smoke and sent him against the wall with a fist of crystal. Danny slide down the wall with a distant sense of having broken something important and jumped quickly to the side with his back against the wall, when his opponent planted a fist in the wall where his head had been a second earlier.

Danny dodged while the giant struck after him with a speed that seemed way too high for such a heavy ghost. An opening appeared and Danny struck with his ghost stinger. The giant fell back at the strong discharge and Danny sent glowing balls of energy at him.

The teen duplicated and tried taking him from two angles and find those weak spots Vlad had been talking about. He knew from experience, that a machine ghost like Skulker would be woundable when it came to the armor joints around the head and shoulders, but when his duplicate jumped the giants back, Danny quickly realized that it wouldn’t be the case here.

All openings in the armor was filled up with something that looked like a hard crystalized surface and made it almost impossible to tear the metal apart. The duplicate informed him telepathically that this ghost was no blub in a suit, but a real freaking ghost cyborg, before the giant took hold of duplicate’s leg and pulled him off.

Danny winced mentally as the fake Danny got his back broken in half and was flung against the wall. He let the duplicate dissolved back to himself and gulped. Alright, no going close to that guy.

Danny’s eyes widened when his opponent curled in on himself and came rolling at him, like some spiked boulder playing sonic the hedgehog. Danny ran for his life and fired into the waste air.

The cyborg seemed to know what he was doing and used the force filed over them as his personal rolling ramp. Danny looked up in time to see the spiked boulder race over the celling of the force field over him, before it came rambling down on him.

The rows broke into yells and cheers as Danny was hammed down into the sand and made a long crater. Danny’s world was a blur and he shook his head to make some sense out of the black spots and yelling around him.

“Danny, watch out!”

Danny turned his head in the direction Tucker had yelled and got the last pieces of the world together. He gasped as the rolling boulder came right at him and curled up in reflex before going intangible.

The teen sighed in relief as the cyborg went right through him and he phased down into the sand until he reached the ghost shiel's limit and returned back up at the other end of the arena. His opponent unfolded again back at the arenas center.

The ghost roared and flexed his back. Large spikes of crystal burst from his back and shot off in all directions. Danny threw a shield up and avoided the thick spikes, that pierced deep into the walls and sand.

The roaring giant started pounding on his shield and Danny struggled to keep it up. He looked over at his gate and figured there had gone enough time.

He had given a show, now it was time to end it.

The shield fell and Danny sprinted. He placed a foot on the wall and began to run on it horizontal. The giant turned furious when the teen ran across the wall and picked up his pace. Soon, the entire arena pulled out in a big blurred mass of colors before his eyes and his form became too fast to be seen as anything else than a long green light by everyone else.

The giant spun roaring around, fired shot after Danny and tried to catch him with missiles. Danny clenched his teethes and began to build a snowball in his hand as he ran. It grew slowly and soon became large enough.

Instead of letting it go as he always did, he worked as Vlad had shown him and let it shrink. The glowing ball was almost a dark blue color now and lost its snow form, in exchange for one of solid ice. Danny timed his next move and threw a duplicate out in front of himself.

When he reached his duplicate on the wall, it gave him a hard push and Danny shot out and into the arena like a ricocheting bullet. The giant had his back turned to him and Danny stuck the ball down between the ghosts back spikes and jumped of him.

The ball exploded in a significant erosion of ice and froze everything. It wasn’t as powerful as Vlad's electric ball, but the sweating and panting teen thought it had its advantage still.

It hadn’t frozen the entire the arena as it should, but when the mist lifted, the giant was frozen in a block of spiked ice. His eye turned furious after Danny, but the ice kept him in place. The crowd went bat-shit crazy and Danny could taste their euphoria on his tongue.

It was almost intoxicating.

“Timber!” Danny yelled and let the ice crack, watching as the giant collapsed in the sand like a fallen tree. Up on the rows, millions of audience started to chant in unison.

" _KILL, KILL, KILL, KILL!_ ”

The teens eyes darted. He turned back to the corridor and locked eyes with Plasmius. The halfa gave him a grave nod and Danny turned to his fallen opponent.

Danny shaped his ice scythe to the sound of the spectator’s wild cries and held it over the fallen giant. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. The blade swung towards the ground…and was planted a centimeter from the giant's head.

Danny let go of the shaft and walked away from his opponent.

Silence and scattered confused mumble broke out among the crowd. When they saw Danny leaving his opponent without killing him, they broke out in furious cries and boo sounds.

Danny looked up at them. The wild horde of the ghost zone's richest and wealthiest citizens. All had they come to see the slaves fight. All they had come to see him kill another specter. Now they saw Danny, saw him denying them their kill. Denying them a trophy.

“You want a trophy?” he yelled and enjoyed their cried of rage, “how’s this for a trophy!?”

Danny showed no head or body part to the audience. He showed them his middle finger. He was surely going to regret it later, but whatever the punishment, it would totally be worth it.

Sam banged the windows back at the VIP box with a wide grin and Tucker chanted Danny’s name in laughter in the corridor.

Both Vlad and his duplicate facepalmed, “oh, _coco pops_ …”


	11. Boys seem to like the girls Who laugh at anything!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello people!  
> I know its a day early, but I just finish my last exam and have received my bachelor's degree in history  
> and i wanted to celebrate it with you guys.  
> I like to dedicate this chapter and future chapters to my faithful reader Cait who's comments make my  
> day everytime  
> I can spoil that i have a sequel to this fic planned and made notes to a triquel  
> hope you enjoy comments is always welcome
> 
> * * *

There hadn’t been any talk of Danny’s punishment – _yet_ , but the teen didn’t need to look at Plasmius to know he had something coming soon. The man was more than angry. It practically oozed from him.

Tucker had met Danny with a laugh as he returned from the arena and they had both been given an electric shock by Vlad, when they had tried to high-five. Vlad said nothing as they left the arena area and moved through the warrior’s districts.

Danny heard scattered murmur and several ghosts look after them with angry or judgmental gazes. For a bunch of slaves that was forced to fight to the death, they seemed pretty mad that he had stood up for himself and his own free will. Spared his opponent.

An empty juice box hit the back of his head and the teen gave the crowd a scowl, “hey!”

“You all just jelly!” Tucker yelled and covered him as more junk came flying, “it’s still halfa 1, arena 0! Deal with it, hypocrites!”

Danny could breathe a little easier, as they laid the angry fighters behind and moved into a more deserted and empty area. He knew he shouldn’t care. Not only because he knew in his soul and heart that he had done the right thing, but because it didn’t really matter.

Danny didn’t owe these ghosts anything and Danny were here only as a cover. He would never get to fight here or have to see any of them ever again. Hell, had he been Sam, he would certainly have reciprocated their eyes and stuck his nose in the clouds.

Making sure they knew, just how little their shallow opinions meant to her. Damn, he missed her…

Danny was knocked out of his thoughts when Vlad grabbed him by the collar and slammed him up against the wall. Danny squirmed to get a foothold and air again, and Vlad hands began to glow threatening.

His eyes seemed to bleed and his low baritone sent chills down Danny’s spine.

"Have you any idea what you've done, boy?" he hissed low and dangerously. Danny opened his mouths to tell him, that he could stick it up a place where the neon light does not shine, but Vlad hit him against the wall again and knocked the rest of the air and smart wits out of him.

"Because of your little mercy conviction, you put the entire plan at risk! Have you any idea what the consequences descendant of a slave who goes against his orders is!? Against The Cube’s rules!?" he shouted furious and burned holes in Danny cloak.

Danny smiled coldly, "you were the one who said there were no rules, remember?"

Vlad let him go at with a growl and Danny landed hard on the floor.

"We take this _later_. I have a plan to save and you have Miss. Manson to rescue. If they haven’t killed her already, that is."

"What!?" Danny and Tucker cried horrified, "why would they hurt Sam!?"

Vlad turned around with a cold glance, "someone will be punished for your offense, Daniel. You're here with me. She's with Mrs. Runner and the sponsors. I’m sure you see the picture."

He turned his back on them and continued toward the grandstand. Danny and Tucker raced after him, "what are you going to do?"

"Whatever necessary," he replied simply and climbed the stair to the stands. Danny made himself invisible to avoid the anger there still seemed to smolder on the rows and moved close towards Tucker.

" _Tuck!_ " He whispered quietly, prompting the geek look confused around whether to find him, "what?"

“New plan. If Vlad’s plan goes down the drain, we’ grab Sam and get the hell outta here. Vlad or not.”

“You sure? We might still need him. What about the halfa, dude?”

Danny bite his lip, “we could always come back later, when things law low again. We know who owns the halfa now and where they live. She must be either here or in their lair.”

Tucker nodded, “should we get Sam now or wait?”

“We wait,” he replied with a whisper and glanced to the back of his nemesis, “for now.”

The Runner’s VIP box appeared and Danny let his invisible fall as soon as they got inside. Linda Runner waiting for them with a haughty smile. Along with her was a bunch of ghosts in suits and important looking outfits, all angry and shouted at each other.

Vlad’s duplicate turned to them and disappeared, as Vlad stepped in to continue the conversation he had had with them through it.

“Gentlemen, ladies, I am sure we can come to a solution that will be satisfying for all parts.”

One of ghosts, an elderly man in a toga, looked at him with wrath, "this is an undermining of the game, Plasmius! We have traditions! Rules to respect. Your halfa is a disgrace!"

A woman in a dress that was a queen worthy, pushed her way in front of him, "this is an insult! We have standards, a reputation to manage! We’re not the Vampire games, the Sea arena or the Labyrinth of fire! We are _the Cube!_ We demand a satisfaction!”

Danny and Tucker left Vlad to the sponsors mercy and tried to find Sam. She appeared to be pressed into a corner behind the sponsors, where a ghost guard had a tight grip in her hair.

"Get of her!" Danny sneered and blasted the ghost. The ghost guard hit the wall hard enough to make a crack in the glass and was knocked out instantly.

Danny should probably have praised himself lucky that the other ghosts were too preoccupied yelling at Vlad, to notice his open anarchy, but he couldn’t find a care in the world for the customary right now.

Sam sighed with relief and leaned against them, “thanks, for a second there I thought they were gonna kill me or something.”

“Listen, Sam, Danny in big trouble, we might wanna run while we can.”

She looked surprised at the two boys, but then nodded determined, "alright, now?"

Before they could make further escape plans, Mrs. Runner gained the box attention with a friendly authoritative voice, “specters, specters, I have a proposal in this matter, I think you all would find in your linking.”

She smiled with sharp cheekbones when she gained their full attention and braided her fingertips together, "I suggest an honorary fight. A fight for The Cubes amends."

The toga ghost frowned and waved a scroll, "no fight can rectify this, this will require an execution. An offering to the Cube if necessary. An example for all to see."

One of the other sponsors rolled his eyes and turned towards her, "what kind of fight do you suggest?"

Linda Runner smiled like a cat that had just swallowed the canary, "a battle between halfas.”

The ghosts looked at each other, some nodded, "that _could_ be the solution…”

Another joined in, “our halfa could be it. She would bring back the honor of the Cube. She’s the champion and undefeated. The tickets would sell out before midnight.”

“Our halfa is the very soul of the Cubes long history of glory. She will not disappoint.”

“Everyone would want to watch this battle. The disgraced fight would be forgiven – possible forgotten. It could work.”

“Two halfas in a fight of life and death? Nothing have ever been seen before. The ultimate fight between ghosts. The ultimate satisfaction.”

“It’s settled. We make the announcement,” the queen said and turned to her peers. Vlad had kept a neutral expression the whole time and listen without interfering once. Mrs. Runner turned to him with an arrogant smile, “seems you get your fight after all, Plasmius,” she said in a sweet voice, “but perhaps not in the way you expected. Come, we might as well finish our little affairs with the breeding materials, before your halfa colors the sand of the arena.”

The specter turned to the door and Vlad made sign for the teens to follow.

For someone that didn’t knew the son of a bitch, Vlad could be taken for a defeated, but proud opponent trying not to show any weakness. But the teens knew better. His step was light and authoritative without the slightest shadow of defeat.

Danny observed him with a raised eyebrow, Vlad looked as if he had just won a battle.

This wasn’t over.

-

The Cubes underground was a labyrinth of cells and corridors, that seemed to go on forever and swallow them with its dark foreboding sphere, as they moved down with the elevators and walked the long cold hallways of black stone.

Mrs. Runner lead them, while her husband had slowed down to chat with Vlad behind her. Danny, Tucker and Sam made the rearguard, along with four Cube guards.

The underground tour came to an end when Mrs. Runner stopped in front of a cell. Tucker whistled and Danny just nodded, knowing what he meant. Of all the cells they had passed, this had to be the biggest and most secure looking of them all.

If Danny hadn’t known its content, he would have guessed it keep a monster at bay or treasure secured from all light and prying eyes.

The guards that had been guarding it, stepped aside for Mrs. Runner and she stepped up to the heavy lairs of security. The female specter used a combination of codes and levers to open a series of doors and slowly the cell unfolded, one heavy door at a time.

She waved the guards away and the ghosts marched back into the darkness. Leaving them all to the last door.

The last heavy doors of thick metal, opened with a screeching and made a vacuum effect that got their clothes to draw toward the door's dark internal. Mrs. Runner tapped a code on a panel and the metal grid opened in an upward running motion.

A ghost-shield lifted and finally the cell was open.

Danny peered into the darkness with his night vision. There was a figure standing in there.

At first it had looked like an empty cell only equipped with spartan furniture in concrete and metal, not helping the cold temperature one bit… you could easily overlook its prisoner in the shadow, since the standing figure was all clad in black from head to toe, not moving one muscle.

Runner looked up at his wife and got a cold and calculated nod. He entered and went up to the figure. Mrs. Runner moved to the metal table in the middle of the cell and gestured for Plasmius to take one of the cheap metal chairs as well. She pulled out a pack of cigarettes and lit one with her ghost ray.

“I thought you might like to see my halfa before the fight, Plasmius. Let you get a chance to see what you up against.” She smiled haughty and exhaled the smoke in Vlad's face, “for the sake of sportsman’s ship, of course.”

“ _Of course_ ,” he replied untouched and not as much as blinked, “I must say I’m a little excited to see the legend up close. There’s a lot of rumors about her, makes a spectator curious.”

The sound of small rusty wheels cut through the cell and Danny looked up with the others. Runner pushed a handtruck forward with a humming, that reminded Danny of an old country song. The prisoner was strapped to it with shackles and was tied up in a standing position.

Her face was hidden behind a black helmet that made Danny think of a black motorcycle helmet and looked straight ahead. A straitjacket forced her arms around her middle. Keeping the specter in place. High-heeled boots almost melted with her thighs, which vanished up under a short black skirt lying tight around her hips.

All in black except the glowing green straightjacket.

Linda inhaled and exhaled through her nostrils,” let me introduce you, Plasmius. This is my halfa. Say hallo, Nightshade. You have visitors.”

The helmet turned slightly. Danny saw his own reflection in the impenetrable visor and felt a shiver run down his spine. He couldn’t sense any human aura around her ghost-signature.

She seemed almost dead.

“There you go, doll,” Runner sing-song as he parked the handtruck and patted the halfa like a pet.

His wife waved him off and crossed her legs in a businesslike manner, “she doesn’t say much, but she a real killer. Made for this place, really. I have been looking for a way to breed one her, there’s an interested marked, but no human and ghost have ever been known to give an offspring, and a human male is just unacceptable. Your halfa is weak and a disgraces to our zone, but he will have to do. You should keep some samples yourself actually. After their fight you may never get the chance to train another halfa again. You could try a human female with the samples you keep yourself, but I don’t have high hope for that result. Who knowns if the offspring would even become a halfa? Or a thinner bloodline in a best case scenario.”

She shivering and made a face of distaste, “ _disgusting_.”

Danny looked toward the halfa ... _Nightshade_ ... and studying her closely. It was impossible to tell what was hidden under the helmet. From what he could see, she seemed young. It was impossible for him to say exactly how old she was.

She could be anywhere between seventeen to twenty-five, for all he knew. She couldn’t be higher than Sam, even with her heels and her form was slim, but ordinary for a young petite woman. The clothes had no culturally kinship and since he couldn’t see her face or heard her voice, it was impossible to say what and who she was.

Danny had a strange feeling of having seen her before, but couldn’t put a finger on it. It was first when Nightshade turned her head to pull away from Runners annoying hands, that Danny remembered where he had seen her before and could have hit himself.

She was the model from the screens and posters of the inner Soul Center. The woman with the motorcycle helmet in profile.

He had been looking for her and practically see her on every street corner. God! How dull was he? In his defense it should be said, that there hadn’t been any real text on the advertisements, only a _‘The Cube’_.

But since Nightshade was famous, maybe the advertisement didn’t need nothing but her face? Or helmet ... was she disfigured?

"Why does she wear a helmet?"

Danny discovered too late that he had spoken out loud and bite his tongue. Mrs. Runner looked at him with disdain, but Vlad just laughed, "an excellent question, Daniel, a question I actually liked an answer for myself. Part of her armor?"

Runner chuckled and checked the last of the prisoner’s restraints, “funny story, actually. She gained a bad habit of bitin’, that little rascal. Almost decapitating ma hand, I tell Ya,” he chuckled and patted the visor again.

Danny could only imagine how irritating that must be. It reminded him of those children who had fish in aquariums and pounded on the glass with their sticky fingers, to get a reaction from the fish. It was usually the same children who held their fish above the water and took time on how long they could survive in their hands.

Nightshade shook her head and bared her neck. A large collar became visible under the dark green straightjacket neckline and Danny grabbed Tucker. Tucker seemed to know what he meant, " _dude, it’s the collar._ ”

Tucker touched his jacket pocket and Danny knew he was looking for his PDA.

“Well,” Vlad began with a glee in his red eye, “she seems like an interesting character. But since you've taken the liberty of pointing out my halfas flaws and traits, maybe it would be in place that I repay the gesture, hmm?”

He stroked his goatee thoughtful, “heavy guarded cell, shackles, straitjacket, helmet? ... it's an interesting way to keep a slave, I must say. Normally training and the collar should be enough. Let me guess ... she tried to run away from you, _didn’t she?_ ”

Mrs. Runner said nothing, but her anger penetrated out of her pores, as toxic fumes. Vlad had obviously hit a nerve – and kept digging, "you know what they say about slavery, Linda. A slave is only as good as its master. And you had this one for years."

“ _Oh, burn_ ,” Tucker whispered.

Mrs. Runner gathered her eyes to the small cracks and opened her mouth to reply with a spiteful comeback, but stopped with the cigarette halfway to her thin lip. A new sound had interfered the cell. It suddenly occurred to Danny that it came from the helmet.

It was a muffled giggle.

A remote much like Vlad’s, was pulled out from the ghost’s gray suit and Mrs. Runner pressed a button. The halfa trashed in pain and went into spasm, as electricity ran through her body in waves. The metal handtruck shook loudly and the helmet bounced uncontrollably.

Deep from the helmet a pained cry could be discerned and Mrs. Runner kept the thumb on the button. Danny was ready to rip the remote from the ghost’s manicured hands, but Vlad stopped him with a grip on his arm. Danny turn to tell him to let go, or do something, but stopped himself.

Through the entire conversation, Vlad had showed no emotional interest in the halfa, but the hand that held Danny back now was clenched hard. Making the glove creaked audible and even the knuckles were evident through the black glove. Danny gulped.

Vlad was not just mad. He was furious.

" _Little unthankful_ …" Mrs. Runner muttered to herself and stubbed her cigarette, unaware of the other two halfas boiling rage, “anyway, I think the smalltalk is over. Let’s talk business.”

“Of course,” Vlad encouraged with a big fanged smile and twisted in his chair, so Mrs. Runners had to turn toward him to continue the conversation and change position. Making her loose the view to the unconscious halfa. Danny got a glance from Vlad and understood.

This was their chance.

Runner was occupied, spraying window-cleaner on the halfa's visor and polished with a whistle. Danny moved to stand beside him with an innocent smile.

Runner noticed him, confused, but then smiled approvingly, "pretty doll, don’t Ya think? A shame you never get closer to her than a sample, sonny. But think about it as an honor. You get two carry Ya fine genes on, after Ya a goner."

He laughed and Danny struck a laugh he hoped was plausible. Tucker stealth his way to the halfa while Sam placed herself in the way of others vision. Hiding the geek and his wire.

Danny thought desperately of a topic, any topic would do, “…yeah, that’s…an honor and all, but your wife mentioned a-a marked…you gonna sell our, uhm… _offspring?_ ”

It sounded _so wrong_ in his mouth that he felt the need to wash with soap, if he ever wanted to kiss his mother with his mouth again, but the little Texan seemed fascinated, “that’s right sonny, makes you wanna be there, right? Imagine! A league only with small halfas fighting each other to the death!”

Danny winced. Behind Runner, Tucker had connected himself to Nightshades collar with the invisible wire and pulled rapidly away. He gave thumbs up to Danny and hid behind Sam, where he could work on his PDA in peace.

“Uh… that sounds great, Mr. Runner.”

Behind Runner, Nightshade suddenly lifted her head in what seemed to be confusion and then stiffed. It was clear she had noticed the wire, invisible or not, and turned her helmet in Tucker's direction.

Awaiting.

Her arms started to struggle in a slow manner and the shackles started to turn black. Tucker gritted his teeth in intense concentration and Nightshade trashed a little as the chain links started to glow, like they were burning.

Danny suspected she used her ecto-energy to melt the ghost-metal and secured her further struggles, looked like she was a teamplayer. Good.

“Could you fulfill a death wish for me, Mr. Runner?” Danny asked in a sweet boyish voice.

“ _Awww_ , what gentleman would I be if I told Ya fine young man no? What is it, sonny?”

“Could you name the halfa you and your wife decide to you keep, after me? I like to know there would still be a Phantom out there, when I meet my maker.”

Runner chuckled heartily and patted Danny’s back, “now that’s the spirit! Y’all Yankees never stops to -”

“Got it!” Tucker shrieked and the collar hit the floor. The halfas chains bust with a splintering sound and the handtruck slamming down to the floor with a sharp rattle.

Nightshade stepped free and crocked her neck with an audible crack.

A lot of things happened at once.


	12. Are you not entertained!?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys - another chapter as promished  
> hope you enjoy  
> comments is always welcome
> 
> * * *

A lot of things happens at once.

No, that would actually be an understatement. EVERYTHING happened at once.

The halfa known as Nightshade, divided into twenty solid black duplicates and attacked the room at once like in frenzy. Mrs. Runner cried out in surprise and rage from her seat at the table, and was hit by a ectoblast from Vlad, sending her head first into the backwall of the cell.

Runner scrambled back from Nightshade and shuddered incomprehensible prayers, as three of her shadow duplicates attacked him and began to tear his face and suit with their claws. 

Danny gasped as the little man screamed in pain and desperation, and the teen spread the shadows with his ghost ray, “hey!”

The black duplicates forgot all about the little crying taxan, now turning their full attention to Danny. The shadows hissed and circled Danny as vicious sharks in the air, waiting for him to make an opening or step wrong, as he shot and danced out of their range and claws.

Vlad’s ghost ray was busy in the other end of the cell and shattered two of his own assailants. The female halfa and the rest of her swarm fought in a ring in the center of the cell, where Linda Runner struggled to strike her former slave.

Nightshade’s hands were still bound by the straightjacket, forcing her to use her kicks and laser beams, that showed itself as three black beams from beyond the helmets surface. To red ghost-wimps formed in the slave-owners hands and she lashed after the jumping halfa.

“You little traitor! After all I’ve done for you!?”

Nightshade ignored her and sent four shadows at her, and gathered a fifth to release her from her restraints. Danny made a move to join the fight, when Sam and Tuckers yells slowed him to a full stop. Five shadows circled them and lashed like vipers.

Sam shot after them with the ecto-guns she had brought to the rescue part and stood back to back with Tucker, who used the Jack o' Nine Tails. The weapon shifted from the form of a razorblade, to the simply tails and shocked the shadows it came in contact with.

The shadows hissed and trashed violent after reforming again, getting way to close to his friends. Danny pulled out his thermos and joined them, but not without taking a second to wonder about what the hell was happening in this strange picture.

Danny had never seen duplicates act that way before. They were more like Johnny 13’s shadow, than actual duplicates, only silhouettes with vague facial lineament. Normally duplicates would cooperate with each other, working together, or working as a team and at least look like their ghost.

These seemed to have their own agendas, acting like furious black beast, when the others got in their way, snapping after each other and fighting to be the one to assist their original ghost.

“Hey! We’re here to help you, not fight you!” he yelled at the helmed Nightshade, but she took no notice of him and bounced of the wall, as Mrs. Runner shot her wimps after her. Runner had fled the cell and Danny could only hope it was to get some help, not just to abandon them.

Vlad was no help either, keeping his own shadows at bay and Danny made a tough decision he knew would be considered a dick-move.

He pointed his thermos at Nightshade.

The white beam shot towards the unaware halfa, when Mrs. Runner jumped in the way. She screamed in confusion and rage, as the beam engulfed her and sucked her into the soup thermos.

Danny shot the lid with a scowl and tried to make a quick decision about who or what to suck up next, when a shadow swept close past him.

“What the hell is your problem!?” he cried out in confused annoyance, before noticing his now empty hands. The shadow turned the thermos in its hands, shook it violent and pressed its ear to the surface. Its black face made a large fanged smile in satisfaction, when a muffled cried from its inside reached it.

Danny shot up to it in attempt to tackle it and regain what was Fenton property, “give it back!”

The shadow was faster and hid behind its peers. Leered at Danny with a mocking smile, before phasing the thermos into itself. Quickly the other flew around it and Danny could no longer tell which one was the culprit, “this isn’t find the pea in shell game, god dammit!”

He couldn’t believe this shit. Those shadows were giggling at him like a bunch of middle school girls!

Like a swarm of bees, the now thirteen shadows formed into a massive group and threw themselves at the open cell doors. Their queen disappeared in their midst and became one with the swarm, as they pressed into the narrow opening and continued out to the rest of the underground building.

“ _Sugar cookies!_ ”

Danny turned to Vlad, who quickly teleported in a cloud of green.

“Danny!”

Danny turned to his friends and grabbed them both before shooting forward to continue the chase of their escaping pray…wow…this must be what Skulker felt like.

“She took my thermos, guys! How are we gonna move or help her now!?”

Sam gave him an incredible look, “you wanna help _that thing!?_ She attacked us!”

“She might just be frightened?” Tucker suggested, but Danny was not so sure. If this halfa had any resembles with her duplicates, she was far from an innocent being. Those things had looked like humanoid piranhas with those teethes. Yikes!

They reached the first dead end of ghost walls and Danny turned human. Both Sam and Tucker threw their slave-collars over their shoulders and regained their freedom to move as they pleased in the spirit realm. They phased through the walls and bricks as if they had been ghosts and got back up to the Cubes arena facilities.

Story short, it was not a nice sight.

The swarm had left a chaos behind and Danny transformed back to ghost form and carried his friends over the destruction, as they took in the sight under them and shot past corpses of ghost and other creatures, whose blood and ectoplasm was coating the walls with red, gold, black and green spots.

Some of it was even dripped form the ceiling.

None of the teens had ever seen this much gore outside of cheap movies (those cheap once that owned a too big budget of fake blood – looking at you Mr. Quentin Tarantino) and the smell was simply overwhelming.

Thick, metallic and musty, unlike anything Danny had ever encountered and he held his breath. Tucker turned green and Sam gaged, but she had emptied her stomach earlier and made it through the sightseen of the mindless killing field.

Cries and shout of panic lead them further in their pursuit and they stopped in midair to the sight of what had been the area and rows just an hour ago. Black shadows attacked anything that moved and chased the spectators and creatures, like a deathly virus in a closed up bacteria documentary.

Placed in safe and strategic position up under the black ceiling, hovered a couple of Vlad’s duplicates, watching the scene with closed expressions. Danny dodged a pair of fleeing spectators and their preying shadows, and took off to the closest Vlad.

“What the hell are you doing!? Do something!” the white haired teen yelled in terror.

Vlad turned to Danny and his two friends with a bored expression, “language, Daniel. And _do_ something? Hardly, my boy, I say we stay out of her affairs and give her some privacy. Enjoy the show, children, or as you young people like to say; _slow your role._ ”

“We don’t say that, you retard!” Sam deadpanned and gave the scene a glance, “you serious just gonna let her cause havoc like this!?”

“I say it’s her right, would you not? Anyway, I don’t have any stocks or shares in this finance, so I lose nothing if this filthy place is closed down. I even say my investments in the Vampire Games will raise!”

“You're sick!” Danny scowled. A high pitched emergency alert shot through the air and heavy armed ghost guards poured in. They started to shot beams of blue lasers through the swarm of black duplicates and made them spread or shatter into mist.

The strong light sources made the shadows hiss in pain and they hit each other in confusion. The guards sent the swarm in all directions and made it easier to divide the black bodies from one and another. Nightshade became evident in a group of shadows, due to her dark green straightjacket.

“There!” Sam shouted and Danny took off. The Plasmius duplicates disappeared and the original Vlad followed them close behind.

The warrior areal had been deserted, due to the panic and possible an evacuation, since the trainers couldn’t have their champions getting killed in the fight (that would surely be bad business), only empty stalls and guards was left to fill the once busy hall.

The teens got a short glimpse of Nightshade as she molded in and out of her shadows, struggling to get her arms free, and burned a hole through the jackets material.

The guarded opening to the Soul Center came closer and a force of prepared guards awaited them. Lasers shot through the swarm in all color, reminding the teens of those rave parties with blinking light and party laser, they always wanted to anticipate.

But unlike those parties, the only music and beat here, was the sound of pained cries and yells of ammunition, and sadly the only babes here were the hissing shadows and they weren’t even wearing neon bikinis.

Making it a dangerous and pretty disappointing imitation. At least in Danny’s opinion.

A black explosion forced the green light of the ghost zone into the Cube, as a huge chunk of the southern wall broke down and the swarm took the run.

Danny, Sam and Tucker passed the fallen guards and continued to the checkpoint, where the big guard that had let them in earlier that morning, and intimidating them with his size and brutish demeanor, now huddled down in his both, crying in fear for his mother.

The swarm assembled and shot though the city, like a small deadly wave of black crows and followed the streets as a single being.

“What now? How are we gonna keep up with that thing!?” Sam cried and Danny searched through the trashed vehicles, “we do the only thing we can,” he said and threw a black van aside with his ghost strength, reviling a speeder, “we take the Fenton Specter-speeder!”

They all dumped their slave disguise in exchange for battle suits inside the speeder and ran to their posts. Danny, Sam and Tucker buckled up in each section of the speeder and griped their headsets.

“Ready?” Danny asked and took the steering wheel.

“Ready,” Tucker replied and swept through the control panels with a stern mind.

“Just go already,” Sam corresponded and got in front of the joystick to the speeders canons and beam controller.

“Alright. Let’s catch a ghost,” Danny scowled and hit the speed button.

-

For every minute they followed, the more evident did it seem to become, that the black crowd was flying with a common goal in mind.

It took Danny and the others some time to understand exactly what the swarm was trying to achieve with its direction and Danny increased their speed when they got the last pieces together.

Nightshade and her duplicates was on the way out of town. And not just out of town, if she didn’t change her course soon, she would collide with a portal.

The Fenton portal.

“You think she’s unto our portal?” Sam asked into the headset and Danny nodded sullenly and then remembered she couldn’t see him, “uh yeah. She hasn’t changed direction and seems too content on this route, that it can be anything else. I’m pretty damn sure.”

“That’s not really that surprising,” Tucker joined, “most of the ghost of the ghost zone seems to know where it is and consider this – she a refugee, she has a lot of haters, and she a halfa. It’s only natural she would aim for is the human world. So in a way we still get her back to earth, dude.”

“Yeah, but when I said I wanted to help her, I didn’t mean with _world domination!_ ” Danny cried in frustration. Sam snorted, “what did you expect? She was introduced to us like some Hannibal Lecter clone! She’s wearing a straightjacket, Danny. A straightjacket!”

“I know! I know, okay!” he replied and sighed. It would be an understatement to say he felt stupid about this. What in the world made him think this halfa would be all sunshine and rainbows? That she would just follow them back to earth and use her powers for good?

Be a halfa _like Danny?_

He knew the answer to that one. He had been to focused on Plasmius, darn it. He had been to content on figuring his nemesis out after half a year of silence and make him spill is schemes, forgetting all about the most important part of this scheme.

Who was this halfa really?

Danny had been blinded by his own curiosity and forgot to be resemble and stop up to see things from a clear perspective. The will to safe Nightshade from the older halfa, had clouded his mind and made him blind to anything else.

And when you talk about the sun – where the fuck was Vlad?

Danny haven’t seen him since the Cube, and they had laid that place behind them twenty minutes ago. Danny got a bad feeling. If freeing the halfa had been the first part of Plasmius grand scheme – then what exactly did part two have in store for them?

Patrols of city guards and hunters followed the swarm in close formations and fired at will. Danny steered in between them in high speed and twisted in air as the speeder got up front of the racing speeders and ghosts.

Tuckers hands danced over the panels and made the real world item search program zoomed in on the swam. A single yellow figure stood out of the black mass of shadow duplicates, “got her!”

Lasers passed the speeders surface and Danny steered into a tight evasive maneuver to avoid the shots and ghost rays. Seems like the other hunters and guard speeders had figured they weren’t actually part of the group.

Sam fired the speeders blasters and made their persecutors force back. A direct hit made on of the flying patrol speeders burst into flames and crash into its peers.

The black swarm continuing following the narrow streets ahead of them and ripped the screens in its wrath as it passed them. The last street corner came forward and the city border showed in the horizon.

“Danny she’s closing in! What do we do?” Sam shouted and answered the fire with gritted teeth, “at this point we gonna lose her in the portal and let her into the human world! She’s gonna shed your house to pieces! What if your parents are in the lab!?”

Tucker looked at him with expectation, a hand floating over the panel. Danny bite his lip, he didn’t like this, but it seemed that Nightshade weren’t giving them any other choice. He watched as she and her small army of hissing duplicates reached the city border and the open zone.

He made a decision.

“Bright light seems to damage her - shoot her down, Sam.”

Sam didn’t need to be told twice and turned the blasters forward. The yellow figure came into her aim point and she fired a blast.

It turned out to be a clear hit.

All Nightshade’s shadows shattered in a single bright explosion and the unconscious halfa fell like a stone in the empty green sphere. The speeder dodged the last persecutors and dived into a neck breaking twist.

Danny’s chins were press back as the speed increased and forced them all back into the seats. The fallen halfa came closer every second; Tucker worked his magic and with perfect timing, the Specter-speeders sunscreens opened and the halfa fell into the mattresses Sam had placed to ease the impact of the fall.

The halfa bounced tree time on the Fenton super-comfort mattresses and then lay still.

Danny left a duplicate behind the wheel – telling him to go hyper speed – and walked up to his friends, who were approached the mattresses with caution. The halfa still seemed unconscious.

Apparently she had shredded the straightjacket when the locks on the back had been too big a challenge for her shadows and the helmed had long scratched, like she had tried to claw it of her face.

Danny was sure they were in a grown woman’s presence now that the jacket was open. The tight black sweater dress was to short and grownup to belong to a teen and a flirtatious window hole exposed her cleavage.

Black gloves cover her small hands and the dress half sleeves revealed that her ghost forms skintone was as white as alabaster. Two jinni-like bracelet covered her wrists and matched the helmet. More restraints, most likely.

Danny quietly wondered if she would have white hair like him, since they in some way matched in skintone (there weren’t many ghost who weren’t either blue and green and looked human other than him – even though his ghost tone was a shade darker than his own, he still looked more human than most ghosts).

Danny leaned down and reached for the helmet to see if there would be an opening mechanism somewhere, she seemed to want it off and he wanted to see her face, so there could be no harm in assisting her, right?

Nightshades hand stopped him, grapping his wrist in a tight grip and drilled little fingers into his flesh. Tucker and Sam flinched in surprise, and Danny made a little girly squeal to his big embarrassment.

His eyes darted from his friends to Nightshade, “now one heard that, right?”

The helmet growled and she pushed Danny of. She lifted to the air and black ecto-energy illuminated her hands. Danny put his hand up in a calming manner, “wait! Listen, Nightshade, right? We’re not her to kidnap or to fight you, okay. We’re the good guys here,” he said and gestured to Sam and Tucker, who watched in vigilance.

He gave them a stern look.

“Uh right,” Tucker said and smiled friendly, “yeah, the good guys. We’re come to help you back to earth. I’m the one who released you from the collar, remember? The name’s Tucker by the way.”

“Listen, just let us help you, alright?” Sam interrupted, “that portal you going for belongs to Danny here. You can’t just smash trough it with your creepy duplicates and take off to the human world. We’re not her to help you with world domination or something!”

“ _Sam, please_ ,” Danny whispered, as the halfas body langue showed alertness and became threatening. He stepped in front of Sam with an apologetic smile, “we just want to help you, honest! I’m a halfa, just like you, we’re on the same side, really. Just –”

Nightshade dodged his outstretched hand and phased through the cockpit. They ran up to Danny’s duplicate and watched as Nightshade shoot forward the speeder and teleported. Danny felt his heart sink. There was no way they could follow a teleporting halfa. It was over.

Suddenly the halfa blinked back into existence a second later and continued teleporting forward, in short rows with her waving ghost tail.

“What the hell?” Sam whispered and watched with wide eyes, as the halfa picked up speed and kept popping in and out of place. Shooting forward like a bullet you could only see every other second.

Danny watched in fascination, “she can teleport, but only in short distance? She’s boosting her speed with it! What an awesome power!”

Sam and Tucker gave him a disappointed look and he winced, “oh yeah sorry, my mistake.”

Danny had for a long time given up on learning how to teleport. Something had told him he just didn’t had the power in him like Vlad, just as Vlad didn’t seem to own the power to produce Danny’s ghostly wail.

The closest Danny had ever come to teleporting, was when he took off in great speed and had enough straight space to shoot forward in. He would reach a speed, that made his body stretch just a second and flung him into hyper speed.

For an outstander it would look like he had disappeared in a flash, but it was only an optical illusion and nothing more.

This halfa on the other hand could teleport, but it was in her own power restriction, keeping her from getting far from her first teleporting spot. But just like Danny, she picked up speed with her short teleportation’s intervals and raced fast enough to keep herself in front of the specter-speeder while in hyper speed.

Fast enough to outrace Plasmius highest speed, but slow enough for Danny to leave her behind his ghost tail, if it came to a race between them.

They followed her closely and got closer to the Fenton portal.

-

Vlad teleported into existence and scouted the green sphere. His red eye fell upon the sight of the female halfa teleporting in and out of sight in short rows, with the Fenton Specter-speeder close behind her.

He recognized the areal and knew the Fenton portal was close. He gritted his teeth. He had hoped the plan could have proceeded as expected, but one thing had led to another and the halfa had escaped.

Since young Daniel and his little campaigns were chasing Nightshade, it became clear that all attempt to win her over to the boys' side with words had failed.

If she got though the portal, she would escape for good and surely leave the country. Making her hard to follow, but not impossible off course. Not for a billionaire and half ghost with connections like him, but still. It was unnecessary waste of his time.

He had plans after all.

An idea came to mind and Plasmius fanged smile returned.

He teleported and found himself back in the human world. Fenton Works ridicules big sign, cast its light glow over him in the dark and he changed to his human form. Vlad Masters straightened his expensive million dollar Armani suit and walked up to the front door.

Ringing the bell and tapped his foot impatient.

A surprised Maddi Fenton opened the door, “Vlad?”

It had been half a year since he seen her last and he noticed that she had changed hairstyle to a lighter bob. He still wished she let her hair long, like in college. What a shame.

He opened his mouth to greet her and possible come with a compliment for old times’ sake, when a delighted shout came from the inside of the house and Jack Fenton boomed in the door with a childless grin, “V-man!”

A bone crushing hug was expected and Vlad dodge per reflex. Jack seemed hurt, but turned into a great smile, when Vlad locked his arm around both their shoulders, “Jack, Maddie, how lovely, good to see you both – I was just in the area,” he smiled and forced them both though the door and continued leading them straight to the basement stairs.

“We have so much to talk about and so many great memories to remember – how about we start with you two showing me some of your new invention, Hmm? I’m dying to see the lab. Come now!” he rushed and pushed them down to the lab.

“Wait, Vlad! When did you get here –”

“All in good time, Maddie, just show me the lab and we can chat over tea and cookies after.”

He gave them a last solid push to the end of the staircase (even using a bit of his ghost strength in Jacks case), Maddie turned to him to get some answers with a scowl, but stiffed when she discovered the Fenton Specter-speeder was missing from its platform, “Jack! The speeder! It’s gone!”

Jack scratched his cheek dumbfounded, “it wasn’t me this time, Mads, promise.”

Vlad put up an innocent face of surprise and gasped for the effect, “oh no, I though the boy might be here, since his phone called me from the lab. He must have taken it into the ghost portal! Oh, my!”

Maddie Fenton’s goggles went vide, “he has what!?” she shouted and looked like she would explode. Vlad turned his wrist to check his golden Piguet watch, as the Fenton pair rushed to the portal.

The specter-speeder would be here any minute now.


	13. I came out to attack people and I'm honestly having such a good time right now!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Me again!  
> Pokémon go just got released to my country and apparently my dorm is filled with rattatas and zubats – what is the game trying to tell me here? To get pest control?  
> Hope you guys have more luck catching them all!  
> Be safe out there and don’t jump of bridges or something else stupid, like breaking into someone's basement to get snorlax.  
> Hope you enjoy – comments and kudus is always welcome and appreciated!
> 
> * * *

Maddie Fenton saw herself as a reassemble mother and caretaker.

She was a mother of two and married in what she would call a healthy and happy marriage. She had meet Jack Fenton in college and they had shared an interest in the same paranormal studies, making them partners long before lovers.

Some would say she had made a mistake by taking the hand of the big and clumsy Jack Fenton (especially her mother and older sister), but Maddie new with her heart and soul that she had done the right thing and followed her own senses.

So far she had been right. Ghost-hunting and research had given her and her family a firm and steady livelihood, and she had only become more passionate about it with the years. Her husband and hunting partner had stayed a faithful life partner to her and their children were both smart and gifted in each way.

A perfect picture by her opinion.

The only time she had been shaken in her perfect life, was the day they received the invitation from their old college friend.

Vlad Masters.

She always had the hunch that the lanky boy had owned more than just friendly feelings for her in college, but his declaration of undying love in the mountain lodge, had still come as a shock.

He hadn’t taken her rejection very well and she had made her own grudges against him, but that was until he saved her son under the great ghost attack of the town. She owed Vlad and let him into their life again, with all bygones – but that didn’t make her blind, oh no.

Even if he smiled and pretending as nothing, she saw the small signs. His clear hate for her husband, his all but sublet flirting with her and his uneasy interest in her son.

Danny had always been different. As a small child he had been so close to her, but all that changed in high school. He had started his teenage years in a whole other manner than his easygoing and talented sister, who made school and friends making seem natural.

Where she was beaming with the shine of a bright future and buried herself in studies and applications for colleges, Danny turned out to be insecure and kept to himself. He lagged in school and grades, buried himself in his room for hours with his computer and videogames, and only saw two other teens even Maddie could see was the losers of high school.

It had worsened in his 14 year and grades that flourished in the middle of the scale, hit the bottom and created embarrassing teacher conversations. And not to mention his bad habits of staying out after dark and breaking his curfew.

Maddie had no evidence, but something told her Vlad Masters only made it worse.

After he returned to their life, Danny had become an introvert knot of anger and shot her out. He seemed to have liked the billionaire at first, but due to some unknown reasons, Danny had turned at her with disdain whenever she would mention the billionaire’s name.

Maddie had known Vlad for a long time and knew he could be a jerk some times, but the idea of the man hurting her son was ridiculous. Yes, Vlad was a closet sociopath, filthy rich, famous and a little tactless at times, but under all that she still saw the paranormal geek, that had joined a rock band with Jack and colored white stripes in his hair.

Deep down he was a good guy. Just a little eccentric, but what could you expect from all that fame and wealth?

It didn’t explain Danny’s change however.

His grades got a whole lot better and he seemed content and happier now, but there was still something right under the surface, she still couldn’t comprehend. Something she wasn’t capable of reaching and bring comfort to.

Danny was still her son, but whatever this change was, it had created a wall between them. A gap she knew she would never be able to overcome. She had heard the same thing from other parents, calling it ‘growing up’.

Perhaps they were right. Maybe Danny’s distance was a natural part of his life as a young man and separation from her womb. She had though the separation from her children would be a little easier than that and come much later, but apparently, time was up.

She could only step back now and let them live the life of their own. She hoped she had done a good job. Her parenting was rather free and she had always encouraged her children to be independent. She put up a curfew, but else given them their space.

Apparently, she had made a mistake by giving them so much free privilege.

“What!?” she cried and widened her eyes in shock. Danny had taken the specter-speeder? And flied it into the portal!? “Jack, this is unacceptable! We got to get him out of there, he could get hurt!”

Her husband's eyebrows scrunched tightly together and he started gathering his ghost hunting gear with a serious expression and growled, “don’t worry, honey! I’m going in!”

The portal opened with a loud hiss and he charged the extra Fenton bazooka, “no ghost is going to claim a Fenton son’s life on my watch!”

A black clad ghost collided with him in high speed and crashed them both to the lab floor. The Specter-speeder broke thought the portal a second later and the infamous ghost known as ‘Phantom’ phased though the cockpit and joined the fight.

Maddie grabbed a weapon, getting to her husband’s rescue, “freeze you ghost scum!”

If Phantom stole the speeder, that could only mean he had hijacked it from her son and probably left him on the other side of the portal, “where’s my son!? What have you done to _him!?_ ”

-

Danny could have pulled the hair out of his head.

The whole situation was getting out of serious hands! Not only had the negotiation with Nightshade failed, his parent was in the lab and firing ghost inventions at her. If she was indifferent of an alliance before, she would surely make him her mortal enemy now!

He noticed Vlad in his human form and left the war his parent had declared on Nightshade and his duplicate.

“What are you scheming, Plasmius!?”

Vlad who hid behind a turned table and watched the fight with glee, gave him a winning smile, “well hallo there, Daniel. I see you brought our ghost hybrid back to the human world. However, the welcome committee need some work, don’t you think?”

Danny glanced back, his mother fired at Nightshade with her bazooka, while his father was swinging his ghost fisher like a crazy fisherman. Sam and Tucker hid in the specter, trying to come up with a plan.

“You never escape now, spook! I’m gonna rip you apart molecule by molecule!” Jack yelled in triumph and hammed his fist dawn on the portal panel. A green ghost field spread to the walls of the lab and trapped all ghosts inside. Nightshade and her shadows tried phasing though and fired ghost rays in desperation to break it.

Danny had no idea how damaging the blast from the specter-speeder had been, but apparently, they had done a number one her, since she only seemed to be able to summon six shadows at a time now.

She started teleporting and flutter around like a trapped moth, trying to find a weak spot in the shield.

A hit from the bazooka sent the female halfa their way and Danny dodge, while Vlad saw it too late, distracted by Danny. Nightshades helmet knocked Vlad straight in the head and made him groan.

“Get away from Vladdy, you dirty ghosts!” Jack sneered and fired at Danny.

The teen didn’t want to fight his own father and ran to hide. Nightshade answered the fire and ignored Vlad under her, since he seemed to be half into unconsciousness and an unarmed human in her eyes.

A shadow joined her and shackled Vlad, as it transformed into black goo. Vlad blinked in confusion and woke up to quite the sight, that made his eyes pop. Nightshade had taken cover over him with spread legs.

What Danny had thought to be black tights, turned out to be stockings, now that the fight had made her dress curl up a little. Suspenders with little black bows kept them in place and continued up, to what Danny could only imagine was a garter belt up under the skirt.

Danny shot after her to make her move out of the fruitloops perverted vision, but she mistook it as a challenge and launched at him with glowing hands.

Danny dodged her flying strikes and searched his mind for a way out of this mess. She beat all the air out of his lungs with a healed kick to his torso and Danny moved out of the way before her heal could finish his face.

Jack attacked her from behind, now wearing the Fenton Ghost Gloves and hit her square in the head. Nightshade broke to her knees with a muffled groan. Jack made ready for a new strike with victory in mind and lost the connection to the floor, as the female halfa kicked his shines with a muffled battle cry.

Danny lost his cool and jumped her back, “fight someone your own weight class!”

Nightshade made her hands concentrated with ecto-energy and started to fist fight him. Danny used his own self improved techniques. A mix of ghost fight experience and karate his mother had forced him to attend when he was younger.

The halfa made a spare and moved around in little circles while dodging all his punches, but in a way Danny had never seen before. He used another karate strike and was meet with something similar, but still different.

Like she knew a mix of martial arts herself and changed style at will. When Danny made an aggressive move to hit or strike her, she moved his hands in defense and used all his strength against him.

She made a twist under Danny’s arm he wasn’t prepared for and took his balance by grabbing him tight and use his own failed punch against him. He landed hard on his back and before he could move, a shadow slammed into him and glued him against the wall, next to Vlad.

Danny tried burn, phase and trash in order to break the shackles, but they seemed unbreakable and quite elastic in a warm sickening way. Like he was held on his butt by the halfas own arms.

Sam and Tucker burst out from the speeder with drawn weapons and battle cries, just to meet the same faith and get stuck to the specter.

“You bitch!” Sam yelled in rage and was silent by a shot of goo, keeping her mouth shoot.

“Oh no, its going to eat the kids, the ghost-boy and Vlad!” Jack concluded in a horrified gasp.

Nightshade turned to him with two shadows at her side and beckoned boldly to the man, clearly saying, ‘come at me, bro’. Jack took up the challenge without hesitation and launched at her with raised Ghost Gloves.

The female dodged his punches and moved backwards for every one of his steps, while her shadows attacked Jack from all sides. Danny watched with pride as his father kept up with the halfa without problems or breaking a sweat.

Tucker and Sam cheered, although Sam could only come with muffled sounds. Maddie had her own shadows to fight, but tried to get closer to her husband, getting back to back and make a better defense.

A powerful punch from Jacks side hit Nightshade right on the chest and made her step back in pain, clenching her arms to her upper torso, while her shadows continued. Sam and Maddie winced in sympathy.

It didn’t matter if a woman was your enemy or not, getting hit around the breast areal was a shared understanding of intense pain, just like all men feared getting hit between the legs.

The helmet lifted in Jacks direction and the halfa shook in wrath.

She jumped at him with a ecto-ball and made the lab explode in black lights. Danny’s parents were separated and Jack lost one of the gloves and tried to fight on with one hand. Nightshade put her full attention on the man now and attacked him with fury.

Jack ended up cover himself with the gloved hand instead of going for hits and stumped back due to her fast punches and ecto-blasts that fell on him like rain.

A final blow sent the gloves into the air and Nightshade planted her heal in Jacks lower abdomen. Now it was Vlad, Danny and Tuckers turn to wince. Jack dropped to his knees and meet the halfas boot again, this time in the head.

“Jack!” Maddie shouted, as the man collapsed on the floor. The three shadows that had been circling Maddie meet their final, when she turned them all to sheds with her bazooka. The two women’s eyes and visor meet in a gaze that made the room thick with tension.

No one said anything as they started circling each other without breaking eye contact. As on a silent sign, they stopped and made a stand. Maddie’s goggles shone in narrow cracks and she grab a short staff she kept in her waist belt with a slow move.

Nightshades helmet lowered just as slowly and her hands started to glow a deep poisonous black, that sparked with ecto-energy. Maddie made a quick push on the staffs handle and it unfolded to a long double-bladed lightsaber, which ends ignited with green ectoplasmic power.

Maddie acted first and swung the staff at her opponent. Nightshade deflected the staffs ends with a quick shield and shot several shots while moving backwards, in sync to Maddie’s spinning attacks.

Danny struggled to get free and help his mother.

At this rate they were going to kill each other or get seriously injured. His eyes went to his unconscious father and chained friends. He felt helpless and he didn’t like it. He tried freezing the black goo, phase though it, bust his aural projection and even chew on them.

His last option to break free would be using his ghostly wail, but then his mother would see him when the power drained Danny’s last reserves and made him transform back to Fenton.

He looked to his mother, who hit the blocking halfas arm and made one of the weird jinni-bracelets break and shatter to the floor. The halfa snared inside the helmet and made three beams shot out of her helmet visor, almost hitting his mother in the face.

If Danny hesitate any longer his mother might lose, and he knew his secret would never be worth it.

Maddie gave a furious yell with all her weight behind and hit the halfa in an opening. The staff planted itself into the helmet and Nightshade pushed her away with a large ghost ray. Danny gasped as his mother was flung to the other side of the room and hit the lab tables head first.

She blacked out as a light and slide down to her husband on the floor.

Back in the center of the lab, Nightshade screamed from inside the helmet. The staff had left her with a deep burning crack across the helmet. The smoke and smell of burned hair filled the lab and she banged her head against the labs crowded shelves as she trashed to get it off.

The visor cracked as she started to tug on either side of the helmets new opening and a splintering sound joined in on her oppressed scream. The last black fragment cracked and the halfa fell to her knees.

Her head resting on the floor.

The helmet spread in to halves like a cracked egg and the two pieces rocked quietly in the silence. Long pink hair fell out like a flood and covered the halfas face in long ringlets. A sobbing sound rang through the lab and then changed into a giggle, that soon turned into a maniac laugher.

The pink curtain spread and Nightshade finally meet their gazes without any obstacles.

Three solid black eye shone wide with glee and she threw herself into the air with an ominous laughter.

Danny stared in terror at the halfa he had risked his life to rescue and brought with him back to his town and the human world.

What had he done?


	14. The smaller they are the closer they are to hell!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay, I'm not entirely happy with this chapter, but has already re-written it so many times, I will leave it as it is  
> hope you enjoy  
> comments are always welcome
> 
> * * *

The now unfold character of Nightshade stretched as if she had been in for a long nap and made her neck and spine pop in satisfaction. The three solid black eyes – two normal and one placed in the forehead – studied the lab in a mix of distaste and open curiosity. 

Danny had never seen a ghost like her before. She was short and elegant, with fragile limbs and sweet girlish facial features. She held herself like a queen and threw her long candy floss colored hair over her shoulders, showing that it was long enough to reach her thighs. 

She offered neither of them as much as a glance and moved toward the stairs of the lab. When the ghost shield stopped her, she placed her hands on the green surface. Examined it with pokes and strokes. Danny decided to try and distract her, giving himself a little more time to get a plan together. 

“That’s not going to work, you know. This force field is unbreakable for ghosts and can’t be destroyed with ectoplasmic energy.” 

She looked at him and lifted her hand in thought. A pink ring opened around her wrist and her hand turned to its human form. Nightshade clinched her sharp teethes together, grapping the hand and pressed it against the shield. 

Danny felt his stomach turn. The hand was greyish in tone and thin with visible bones under the skin. The hand reached though the force field and Danny’s hopes fell like a stone. The shield wasn’t gonna stop a human. 

The ring around the hand began to flutter and Nightshade gasped in pain and pulled her hand back out. She let the ring fall, making it a part of her ghost form again. She clenched the hand to her chest as to soothe the pain and sighed. 

Danny made himself hard as stone as she turned to him. Expecting a punishment or some sort of attack. Nightshade moved her three eyes to Danny, looked him over. Her head crocked in thought, making her neck kriging like the sound of dry wood. The sound gave Danny the creeps. 

She moved closer to him and sat down, balance on her heels before him. She blinked, “your…Danny Phantom,” she said with a rusty voice. 

He opened his mouth to asked her how the hell she knew his name, but she stopped him with a cold finger to his lips, “no, no, I’m the one asking the question, kid.” 

Now that she was close he had no other choice but to take her person in. Just like her exposed underarms, her face was an almost a sickly white tone and made her square face light up in a soft manner. 

She wasn’t the type of girl he would turn around and look at an extra time on the street, like Sam or Paulina from his class, but she would definitely imprint herself into any person’s mind, with her open face and cold innocence. 

Her white skintone where different than Danny’s, whose edges and shadow tent to take a green color, just like Plasmius blue skin would turn a deeper blue around his lips, ears and nose. 

Her edges where grey and stone-like and when her small grey cheery lips parted, a set of razor sharp teethes peeked out. Looking a lot like the Lunch lady or Ghost writer's menacing grin. 

“How do I turn off the force field.” 

It was clearly not a question but a demand. Danny snorted, “yeah right, I just tell you and let you walk _right_ out to the streets, not going to happen.” He searched the room for her shadows, “anyway, I want my thermos back. Where is it?” 

She blinked puzzled, “thermos?...oh you mean this one?” she phased a hand into herself, much to Tucker and Sam’s disgust and pulled the cylinder out after some searching, “sorry, but it has something inside that belongs to me – you get it back when I’m finished.” 

“How about you give it to me know, before I _finish_ you?” 

“I don’t have time for you, kid – how do I turn this off?” 

“Oh suck yourself up and go to the ghost zone,” he sneered. 

Her face stayed motionless, but a glowing hand reached up to his face slowly, he could feel the energy’s heat and closed his eyes. Ready to get burned. A muffled yell made Nightshade turn her head. Sam was struggling and trashing. 

Her mouth was covered, but even a deaf could understand she cursed the female halfa and swore in rage. Tucker gave her a glaze, “yeah, I’m not going to translate that. Sorry Sam, but my mother are never gonna forgive me with such a mouth.” 

“How sweet, you have a girlfriend,” Nightshade purred. 

_“She’s not my girlfriend!”_ he shouted in unison with Sam’s less understandable shout. 

“Alright, female-companion-who-cares-a-lot-about-your-face, then. Just tell me how to turn of the shield, and she won’t lose your handsome face, Phantom.” 

He gave her an indifference glare, “it doesn’t matter what you do to me, I won’t let you go out there and hurt people, Nightshade.” 

Her jaw clamped cautionary, “would you like me to turn your life into a living hell?” she asked dangerously. Danny snorted, “I’m not interested in a relationship right now, thank you very much.” 

“Oh burn!” came it from Tucker with a shit-eating grin. He got a high-five from Sam that sent the female halfa nasty looks. 

The halfa turned from them to Danny and she studied him in thought, “you’re like a superhero in the human world, right? Saving people and keeping ghost from hurting your town. That kind of thing.” 

“So?” he asked warily when she stood up. She gave him a calculated look, “you know, Danny…there’s a rule all fictional hero’s must follow in order to stay sane,” she said slowly, before continuing, “ _a secret identity_. Hiding their real self, not just in order to keep their privacy, but secure that their love ones stay out of their enemy’s reach…” 

Danny felt dread flow into his vein. The feeling of where this conversation was heading was unbearable and his vision turned sharp and detailed, with adrenalin and fear. 

“No,” he said and she nodded, “oh, yes. You just broke that rule by bringing me to your base, superhero – so who should we pick!” she shouted cheerily and looked at them. Clasping her hands together, “who’s going to make little Danny here talk? _Who_ is his weakest link in the Phantom chain?” 

She ignored his protest and turned to Vlad, “how about this gentleman? Your father?” 

_“He’s not!”_ Danny shouted insulted and Vlad chuckled, “I am afraid I would be considered the jewel in that chain, my dear. Even though you have a good eye for detail, young Daniel’s parent is over there.” 

Danny stared at him in horror, “you fucking traitor!” 

“Language, Daniel.” 

Nightshade gave Vlad a small smile and moved on, “alright, what about this one. I’m just guessing it’s your father then, do you want to see him die? What about your mother?” 

She examined them and poked Jack with her booth, “…or not. It’s no fun when they’re not begging or screaming.” 

“You stay away from them! – _Hey!”_

“And then there is you little avengers here,” she continued and turned to Tucker and Sam. Sam was trashing again and Tucker turned pale. Danny shot his cryokinesis (or Icy Eye Ray, as Tucker liked to call it), since his eyes weren’t covered and Nightshade moved her head just in time to dodge the beam of ice. 

She still had her back to him and snapped her fingers, “that’s all I need to know. Alright we have our winners. Now you choose.” 

“Like Hell I will! Tucker! Sam!” 

“Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe – which of these can you let go!? Itsi Bitsi Spider Choose – one will die and one will lose!” 

_“Okay I tell You!”_ he yelled in defeat. Nightshade turned with a pleased look, “okay – but I’m just going to bring this one over here for safty.” 

Tucker was released and brought close to her side. Tucker looked like he was in mix feeling. He was very close to an attractive woman who pressed him into her cleavage and combed his hair, but one the other side it was also a female specter that could snap his neck anytime now. 

He looked like he would try to get the best out of it. She seems content with his cooperation and lead him back to Danny, “alright, how do I turn it off?” 

Danny bite the inside of his chin. He wasn’t willing to help her and the outburst had been in panic. He still didn’t have a plane and now his friend’s life was at risk. He was trapped and was the only one with the key. 

She seemed to read all that in his face and sighed, “really? And with your human at risk?” Danny looked from her to Tucker. He knew she wasn’t bluffing when she claimed to kill, but the only ones who had fell for her hands, had been ghost or those paranormal creatures in the city. 

If she had wanted to kill them all, she could have done it by now. Instead she had chained them all and even let his parent live, after they attacked her and wounded her. Danny was surprised she haven’t try to kill him after the shot, he and the others gave her in the ghost zone. A new understanding appeared in his head. 

Humans. 

What made them different from her victims, where their species. All here was humans. She was bluffing. 

He smiled, “I think we both know you bluffing. You wouldn’t kill an innocent and human nonetheless,” he continued, now more sure of himself, “how about this? You release everyone and we forget all about this – we can sit down and talk and maybe even get to some mutual understanding – deal?” 

She just stared at him in the same closed up manner as before and combed Tucker, like he was a cat, “that sounds nice, but no. You really think I’m bluffing?” she seemed genuinely surprised, “you know…when I was living in there, in the ghost zone, most ghost you meet seems to know absolutely nothing about simple human needs,” she began, looking past him and into a place no one could follow her, “which is weird, since they have all been humans themselves at a time. They forget that you need water. They forget that you need rest. They even forget to feed you…” 

Danny felt a lump in his throat, “really? Then how did you…?” 

“Survive? Ghost fights,” she said and Danny looked at her puzzled. 

“I should probably explain. You see, every third day, they would bring me to a smaller arena to fight. Just for an exclusive closed audience. The big ghosts. What made it different wasn’t the fight or the experience…it was my opponents.” 

Her foreigner voice turned slower and her eyes reflected his face the same way as her visor had did earlier, “they were humans – and not just humans, but ghost hunters. The first time I fought against one, I haven’t been fed in a week. My healing kept me from fainting, but the hunger was evident even in my ghost form. So…when he laid there…the smell of fresh blood and promises…I couldn’t control myself.” 

Danny watched in horror, as she ripped Tuckers shirt open and exposed the artery in his throat. Her teeth visible, “that’s the real reason they gave me that helmet.” Tucker froze in fear as she bowed dow to place her teethes on his exposed neck. 

“THE CODE IS FENTON! F-E-N-T-O – at the panel! _The Panel!”_ he cried out and thrashed to get free. Nightshade removed herself from Tucker and padded his shaking head, “thank you.” 

Before he knew it, she had moved and worked her way over to the panel. The shield lifted and she left. Her ghost-signature getting weaker and weaker with the distance, before disappearing completely. Danny hang his head in defeat. This sucked. 

He was surprised when the shackles lifted a minute later, melting into nothing. He watched as his friends was released as well and froze when a hand grabbed his. Danny’s breath came out as mist and Plasmius grinned at him, “time to go, Daniel.” 

Danny heard Tucker and Sam cry out for him, before everything turned black and green. He gasped as he found himself close to Vlad and in the cold air. 

“What the-!” Plasmius placed his hand over Danny mouth and silenced him, “Shhh, or she will hear you, Badger.” 

Danny stopped thrashing and looked around. He spotted a black clad figure flying ahead of them. Nightshade seemed to fly in zigzag, looking for something from her spot over Amity’s sleeping town. 

Plasmius made sign to follow her and Danny kept quiet and started the stealthy chase. The female halfa continued her search for some time. She would stop up, scanning the place with her three eyes and then fly again. 

When she reached the outer town and got close to one of the overgrown park areas, she descended and landed in front of an old tree. Danny hid behind a low wall of grumbling cobblestone and was joined by the invisible Plasmius. Danny followed his example. 

Nightshade pulled the thermos out of her body and studied it. Four shadow duplicates came into view and she opened the lid. A racked and pissed Mrs. Runner was flung into the tree trunk before the shadows bound her with goo. 

“Hallo, Linda,” Nightshade said in a motionless voice. The ghost got herself together and started to struggle, “you little bitch! I should skin you alive and sell you to the vampires! You going to regret this big time, if you don’t-!” 

The halfa slapped her in the face and the specter gasped in surprise and outrage. Before she could collect herself, another slap hit her other cheek, turning her head. 

“That was for collaring me,” the halfa said in an indifferent voice, “this is for locking me up.” 

A knife of ectoplasm was forced into the specters midsection and she howled, as the knife was turn upwards and cut though the suit and flesh. Danny felt sick and gaged. He couldn’t watch any longer. Plasmius padded his back in mild sympathy. 

“AAAARRRHHHHHH! Stop it! Stop!” 

“You enslaved me! You locked me up and starved me! You left me to die!” 

“You betrayed me! I treated you as a daughter!” 

The knife was drawn south. “You treated me as _A HUMAN!”_

Danny’s eyes were forced back on the scene, when Nightshade continued cutting and started to work on the ghost’s fingers, ears and cheeks. Danny moved to stop the horrible show from continuing, but Plasmius stopped him, “it’s her right, Daniel. Let it happen.” 

“How can you say that!” he whispered back and shook his head, “I can’t watch this. It’s not human.” 

“I think it’s the most human of all,” Vlad retorted and gestured to the two women, “this ghost has held her prisoner and forced her to commit unspeakable things. She’s been beaten, starved, tortured and humiliated. All that was human in her has been denied, her views of the world forever destroyed and her body wounded. Imagine, Daniel, getting your power and wake up in the ghost zone. Alone, confused and crying for help. Someone hear you and they enslave you. The only relation and understanding you have of your new found power, is the will to survived and follows orders. No self-understanding, no growing with your ghost powers. Forced training and the inevitable fear of dying every day. No future, no rest and at last, no hope.” 

The man looked at him with unreadable eyes, “after all she has been through ... would you deny her the chance of revenge?” 

Danny looked down, “revenge is never the answer; she was going to kill us all. I even promised her a way out!” 

“And you expect her to believe you? Don’t be naive, my boy. She has no reasons to believe in others anymore. She tried escape before, why take the change and risk her freedom, by trusting a stranger?” 

It was pure logic and Danny hated it. Vlad was right and he had no arguments that could deny that. He gazed back to the screams of utter pain and sighed, “that makes sense I guess. So what now?” 

He frowned and stared at Vlad, "what are you going to do to her?" 

“Nothing.” 

_“Nothing?”_ Danny deadpanned, “you seriously want me to believe that? That the big bad Masters just felt the urge to help a fellow halfa and leave it at _that?_ No obligations, no debt, no scheme? - sorry but I’m not stupid if you remember.” 

“Oh, I’m aware, my boy. I’m aware. But consider this, you do something for me and I let our female hybrid come with you and leave her alone for a year. I even make my major duplicate leave town to, as a sign of my gratitude for assistance me in all this,” he said and smiled in a mocking way of benevolence. 

Danny thought about it and looked at Vlad in weariness. It was an unexpected offer, really. Too generous. Vlad would leave the halfa in Danny care and keep his distance for a whole year? Let him influence her and maybe even change her to the better, without standing in the way. It was a dream come true. 

Danny didn’t trust him one second. 

Like he told himself before, Vlad would know Danny would turn the halfa to his side and therefore make all Danny’s enemies, her enemies, Vlad included. Danny would turn her against him and Vlad was just going to let that happen? Not likely. 

“Alright…what’s your demand, fruitloop?” 

Vlad gave him an approving million-dollar smile, “oh nothing you can’t afford, Daniel. See it as a bonus to that little re-education program, I’m sure you going to lead her though. I like you to keep my identity and whereabouts a secret between the two of us. If she asks of me, tell her the truth – that it was a short alliance in order to save her and nothing more. In conclusion, she can’t know anything about me.” 

The young halfa look at him in honest surprise, “…that’s all?” 

“That is all.” 

“…you playing with me.” 

To this Vlad just smiled and showed Danny his outstretched hand, “be a man, Daniel. Deal?” 

Danny wanted to beat the half-ghost into the next dimension and make an end to it all, but… “deal.” 

Vlad teleported and once again, disappeared out of Danny’s life. The older halfas absence, made him aware of the silence. It occurred to him that Plasmius had suppressed his ghost-signature the whole time. Which meant… 

“I know you’re there Phantom. Come out.”


	15. Who the fuck are you? – Who the fuck are you? – I asked you first – I asked you second.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!  
> Here's a little something for you - I will be going on a short vacation and that means i wont be able to post the 10th as i would normally - so you guys get it a little earlier before i run to another country.  
> I will be back the 15th and ready to post again the 20'th, so don't get your ghost-tails in a knot  
> hope you enjoy this little early chapter! comments is always welcome
> 
> * * *

“I know you there, Phantom. Come out.”

Nightshade didn’t sound displeased or angry by being spied on. Her voice was calm and in a flat strange vowel accent he still couldn’t place on the world map. His suspicion of the half-ghost being a foreigner became more certain, but tried to keep his reckless curiosity down and focus one the situation.

He let his invisibility fall and step out of hiding, not gonna be a coward or running away from a fight. The female halfa looked at him. Expressionless as before.

“Enjoyed the show?”

He scowled and she nodded, “I thought so – here you go.”

The thermos was handed to him and his eyes turned to the tree trunk as a reflex. A green smudge coated the old bark, but the specter was gone, no trace of a corps or scattered body parts. Danny remembers the sound of hissing shadows and got a disturbing idea, where Mrs. Runner might had ended.

Did that make Nightshade a cannibal? Or a half-cannibal? A soul… _core_ eater? He didn’t know and stored that track of thought away, deep into a place in his mind, where it would never see the light of day. Ever.

He had expected her to attacked him or running at this point, but she did none of that and Danny felt his nerves get the best of him. Should he suck her up with the thermos? Try reason with her? Vlad had as good as handed her over to him – so why not try talk to her like a reasonable person?

“Uh…thanks? Didn’t mean to spy or anything, but you know,” he ranted like an idiot and scratched his neck nervously. “Had to make sure you didn’t start burning the town down or something.”

“It’s okay,” she replied in a polite manner and gave him a faint smile. “But don’t worry, your town and this world is safe. I’m not here for _world domination_ or whatever your friends said.”

“Then what are you here for?” he asked confused and a little intrigued. “You have a place to go to?”

She nodded, not really looking at him, but the night sky. Danny followed her gaze. It was weird talking to her like this. Like they were just two random, but polite strangers that haven’t just fought in his parent’s lab or escaped a spooky fight-club in the Ghost zone.

The night sky was cold and clear. Constellations and stars in perfect sight and Danny felt the urge to fly up there. Be a part of it. He turned to Nightshade to ask her if she ever felt the same and was startled.

She was crying. Tears ran down her cheeks and the third eye to.

Freaky.

Danny felt awkward. He never knew what to do when girls started crying, and this case was just weird and awkward. He ended up just standing there. She sniffed and dried her tears, “sorry…it’s just…I forgot just how beautiful the sky could be. Sorry.”

Her cold demeanor fell like a curtain and Danny saw her for what she was. A hurt human being. He took a chance and transformed to his human form. She looked up in confusion. As they stood there he was almost a half head higher than her. He extended his hand and smiled.

“Let start over, my names Danny. Danny Fenton.”

She gave his hand a calculated glance, but took it nonetheless, “Arianna Vølver.”

“Sounds foreign,” he said and she shrugged, “Scandinavia.”

The beeps and bass of an insisting ringtone broke the moment and Danny pulled his phone out. Sam had sent him a message and tried to call him five times on silent.

\- _5 missing calls._

\- Sam: _DANNY WHERE R Y?!!!!_

“Ups,” he winched and texted her back. How long was he gone again?

\- Danny: _Outside of town. B right back!_

He transformed back to Phantom and Nightshade lifted into the air as well, “I guess this is goodbye then. Take care, Danny Fenton.”

She turned to leave.

“ _Wait_ ” he said and tried to coming up with a reason to prolong her company. “What are you gonna do? I mean…it’s like in the middle of the night. Do you even have a plan?”

She shrugged, “I guess my plan is to find a place to sleep and figure the rest out in the morning, maybe. Put some distance to the portal.”

She didn’t seem certain and Danny lighted up. This was his chance, “you could crash my place. I closed the portal anyway and consider this – there be another halfa with you, if they come to look for you here. It’s probably the safest place for you to be right now.”

She stared at him as if he had grown another head. He checked. Nope, no failed duplicate attempt.

“Are you _insane?_ You just witness me torture, kill and destroy ghosts! I beat you and your people up and almost took a chunk of your friend…is this some kind of superhero thing?” she gave him an apprehensive glare. “Or trap?”

“No trap,” he assured. “And I’m not that much of a superhero, really. Let’s just say you’re not the first fugitive I have given a hand…or pawn.”

He hoped Wulf was alright wherever the were-ghost where. “And I know it’s crazy, but we’re both humans and halfas. I can understand why you did it. You were just trying to get your freedom back. I can relate.”

Well...Maybe not in the same extremes, but he was trying to do the right thing here. He wasn’t that innocent anymore himself. He still had fairy dust on his hands. Or sand – whatever.

She looked to the horizon, the darkness and the unknown. Danny never appreciated the sky like she seemed to do before. He told himself to watch a sunset at least once a month from now one. You never know when it would be your last or taken from you, due to slavery.

“Alright. I stay with you then – but if I wake up with another collar, I _swear_ I come back and haunt you, kid.”

He grinned and they took off.

It wasn’t often he got to fly with anyone or race for fun though the night sky. Normally the other ghost or jetpack-wearing-guy-in-white person, would either chase him or Danny them. He had taken Sam with him and it had been special moments, but carrying a person was not the same as being free to move and make all the crazy turns and loops, as he pleased, without making his passenger sick.

Nightshade smiled and seems to enjoy the wind though her long hair. He showed her with a gesture that he wanted to race though the towns junkyard and she took up the challenge without a seconds’ hesitation. They laughed as the competing made room for showing of neck breaking turns and slalom into narrow places. She phased trough him and took the lead.

“Oh no, you don’t!” He speeded up and his ghost tail showed. She gasped as he shot past her and he glazed back with a grin. She started teleporting and caught up with him in small clouds of black smoke.

“Hey, Danny! I have to ask you something before I forget!” she shouted against the wind. “Who was that other ghost you went to my cell with!?”

Danny forgot how to phase and smacked against a commercial sign, saying ‘Ghosts? In _this economy?_ ’ and slide down to the building’s roof. She was with him in a second and looked sincerely concerned. “Oh my god! Danny? Are you alright?”

He groaned to the upside down sight of the majors serious raised finger. Vlad looking smock as always. “I’m super.”

“You should really look where you flying, Danny – anyway, I think there’s an ambulance at your house?”

She was right. Blue and red light where blinking around his house and making a clear message – someone was either dead or damaged enough to be taken to a hospital. He forgot all about racing and shot to Fenton Works at high speed. Sam and Tucker was standing a little from the whole scenario, both trying to text him again. Danny transformed back to human behind a dumpster and ran up to them.

“Guys!”

“Danny!” they yelled and pulled him in for a group hug. He grabbed their shoulders, “where’s my parents?” They pointed to the paramedics, who was busy lifting his father out on a stretcher. It looked to be a strenuous job and Jack complained for each bump.

“Dad!”

“Danny-boy!” he’s father greeted in happy surprise and cried out when the stretcher bumped against the doorframes. “Damn spook and ghost-boy!” he cursed and took Danny’s hand, “we’re thought you were in the portal, son! Those ghosts attacked us in the lab and broke your mothers left arm and a leg!”

Danny glazed to his dad’s own wrapped head and his father shrieked when three ice packs were placed on his lower abdomen.

“Is s-she’s okay?”

“Don’t you tell me to calm down! My son is still in there and no sprain is going to keep me in a hospital!”

His mother appeared at the door. She had her own stretcher and team of paramedics, who seemed to have a hard time, “you have four fractures, ma’am, you in no condition to move.” Maddie Fenton was ready to break free from their care, when Danny got to her, “Danny!” He was dragged into a one-arm hug and almost into her lap, “you alright! I thought –”

“Uhh, dad said you two fought a ghost?” he improvised, not sure how much he was supposed to know, since he hadn’t exactly been there in his human form.

“Are you gonna be okay?”

“They stable,” a friendly paramedics insured him and hooked his mother to an IV of morphine. “They just need to let people help them and stop _hitting_ the staff,” he said in a less friendly tone, when Jack insisted on bingeing his Fenton creep-stick.

His mother smiled at him soothingly and looked a little dazed by the morphine, “don’t worry, Danny. Now that I know you fine, it’s going to be alright. Your father and I are spending the night at the hospital. You have to spend the night in the house, but don’t worry, the portal is closed.”

“Okay, mom.”

“Come visit tomorrow – we called Jazz, she will drive you…”

Danny let her go and watched with concern as they were lifted into the ambulance and drove away. This was all his fault…

“You okay, dude?” Tucker asked and Sam gave him a concerned look, “what happened? Where did Vlad take you?”

“To Nightshade. It was crazy, we watched her butcher Mrs. Runner.” He showed them the empty thermos.

“Sick - and then what?”

Danny tried to come up with the best way to break the news to his friends, when a roar made them all jump. “Samantha Manson!” Sam turned and found her mother getting out of her car. Danny had never seen her so red before. “You are in big trouble, young lady!”

Something would seem their little fake sleepover had failed and their little trip to the ghost zone had been longer than they original thought. Danny check his watch. It was Saturday alright, but their curfews had ended four hours ago. It was 05:23.

“Son!” Tuckers parents park outside Fenton Work and the geek gulped. They didn’t look happy either. His friends were dragged to each car and he waved goodbye in sympathy. At least his parents had been to drugged and busy with fractures to give him a lector or ground him.

“See you in school!”

He waited to the peace and silence had returned to the street and turned around, “Arianna?”

“You still want me hanging around?” she came into existence with a guilty look. He shrugged, “you still wanna stay here and take a chance at my place?”

She shrugged and it was settled. She followed him inside the house and inspected the place with interest. Now that all the suspense and chasing was to an end, Danny felt exhausted and wanted his last four hours before his alarm would wake him again.

“Listen, we don’t have a spare room, but my sister Jazz moved out a while ago, to go to college. You can use her bed, its right here,” he gestured to the frilly girly room and the halfa stepped inside.

“I’ll be in the room next door if you need anything. You be okay?”

She stroked the bedsheets in awe and it occurred to Danny that this was more comfort than she had been giving in a long time. It made him feel nice. Good, even.

“It’s perfect, Danny. Thank you,” she gave him a sweet smile and let her aloof demeanor fall like a curtain. Making his cheeks blush.

He scratched his neck sheepishly and walked to the door, “see you tomorrow, then.”

She waved and closed the door. He had a good feeling about this.

-

He sneaked into Jazz room in the morning light. His older sister had sent him a text, telling him that she would be there in a little while and drive him to the hospital – he would miss his first classes, but his mother had already called the school, so it was okay. Now he just had to bring the news to the sleeping halfa, so she wouldn’t be surprised or scared to wake and find herself alone later.

“Arianna.”

It had surprised him to find her sleeping in her ghost form. Normally he hadn’t thought it possible. He had never been able to do it himself and losing conscious would usually meaning losing your ghost form too (he had once kept it on accident, when he and Valerie had busted Vlad’s place to free Dani and saving her from down melting, but it had never been possible for him to repeat). That had always been impossible for him.

But not her. She had even taken her ghost dress of to sleep in her underwear. But again, there was a lot he hadn’t thought possible before – a female halfa for an instance.

“Hey, Arianna.”

She turned her back to him and mumbled something in a language he didn’t understand. Other than that she had mention a boy name. Well, he figured it was a boy’s name, but couldn’t be sure. The only encounter he ever had with a European, was that student Gregor and he had turned out to be a fake ass liar in the end.

Danny reminded himself to find a map later and check out where Scandinavia was. All that popped into mind was ‘Europe’. That and ‘Babba’.

“Danny?”

She blinked dropsy and looked around in confusion, before she seemed to remember and relaxed, “what time is it?”

“Its 07:00. I have to go to school and see my parents, so you will have to be alone for some hours. Is that okay?”

“Sure,” she yawned and threw the sheet aside. Danny turned around in an instant, “wait, you don’t have to get up, I’m just –”

“Can you show me to the kitchen? I don’t remember if we passed it last night.” She passed him, now properly dressed and he followed, “uhh, just down the stair and behind that door.”

He followed her like a little kid and watched as she started to rummage through the fridge and kitchen cupboards. She opened the fridge, froze with a gasp and made a gaging sound like vomiting. She slammed the fridge, coughing violent, “why are you *cough* having a *cough* mummifies emergency ham in the fridge!?”

She phased her arm in with disgust, dragging out the ham and threw it out of the window.

Danny sighed in relief. He had forgot all about that thing and now the four-year-old ham was no longer his problem – but still…

“Um…what are you doing?” he asked confused as she placed a pan on the stove and put the ingredients on the counter. She grabbed an apron and smiled in a fresh manner, “making you breakfast, silly – how do you want your eggs? Scrambles? Sunnyside or omelet?”

He blinked. She wanted to make him breakfast? “uhh…omelet?” She lighted up and started mixing in a bowel. He stared in curiosity as she cut the small sausages out and turned them into little squids on the pan. A shadow duplicate melted out of her and started helping her mixing the eggs in a bowl.

“So…you like cooking?”

Danny’s mother wasn’t much for cooking (other than cookies that is) and always seemed to mix it up with her ghost experiments and create something both uneatable and highly dangerous that liked to attack people – specially Jazz.

He wasn’t even sure if it was safe to cook in this place, if he should be honest. Jazz cooked sometimes, but since she moved out, Danny had lived by instant food, nasty burgers and takeout. Breakfast was a fast affair in the morning, either as a donut or sugarcoated cereal, that was as close to candy as any breakfast item could get.

Having someone cooking something real and just for him, felt weird. But not in a _bad_ way.

“I was the one cooking in my household. But I like it, yes. You want toast too?”

“No!” he replied hastily. The ghost toaster incident heavy in his mind. Never again. “Uhh, no thank you.”

She giggled and placed a plate in front of him. It looked delicious. He almost inhaled it and watched as she placed a pot over the stove and started stirring, “you’re not having anything?”

“I’m not sure my stomach is ready for heavy food. I read about something like that once and don’t want to take the risk of throwing it all up again. I just have soup for starters.”

That made sense and Danny felt his curiosity peek. “Arianna, can I ask you something?”

“Sure,” she said and joined him at the counter, while her duplicate continued cooking behind them. She started her meal, clear chicken soup in a bowl, “what is it?”

“Is there something wrong with your human half?”

She stopped. The spoon halfway to her lips and gave him a blank look, “what makes you think that, Danny?”

Danny’s inner vision turned back to the lab. She had tried to move though the ghost shield as a human, which should have worked. But haven’t. The hand she turned back to human had been abnormal. Grey and thin. She was still in her ghost form after the trouble had laid low and even slept in it. The way she had pulled her hand to her, still clear in his mind.

She had been in pain.

“A couple of things. Are you alright?”

She smiled, “I’m fine. My human form just been away from the sun for a long time and lost a little weight. It just need time to heal and it’s faster in my ghost form – and there is of course the bracelet.”

“Bracelet?”

She showed him her arms and he remembered the black jinni-like accessory.

“The ghosts got tired of me switching in and out of forms and secured I stay in ghost form with this. But ever since your mother broke the left one, I have been able to turn back halfway. It’s fine.”

He studied the ghost technology, “you want the right one of?”

“Nah, it keeps me from transforming and probably faint in my human form. I remove it when I’m healed.” That made sense and he felt better with that problem out of the way. She was alright. She would heal.

Danny bit his lip and tried not to get his hopes up too high, but it was hard. Ever since Vlad had told him about another halfa, he had fantasied about this moment and what this could mean to him. What possibilities it could make and what a mutual encounter with a benevolent halfa could open up for him.

What half-ghost power and knowledge did she own and what would she be willing to share with him? Did she know more than Vlad? Maybe halfa stuff Vlad didn’t?

His phoned buzzed and he ate the last of his breakfast before running to his jacket, “Jazz is here – I be back in a couple of hours! Please don’t leave the house.”

“Okay,” she giggled and watched his antics with a grin. Her duplicate phased back into her and she turned to him, “here.”

He grabbed the lunchbox with a questionable look and she blinked, “for lunch.”

He gave her a big toothy smile and phased though the door. Jazz honked outside.


	16. Big brother is watching you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys  
> sorry for the (day) late update - my computer died on me and i had to get it repaired  
> as a sincere apology, i'm gonna update every friday now  
> hope you're not mad at me and stay tuned  
> comments is always welcome  
> enjoy
> 
> * * *

Nightshade watched from her seat at the counter, as the last of the ghost-boy disappeared out of the front door. She continued keeping her smiling frozen position, as his ghost-signature slowly fainted and disappeared from this place. Her smile fell.

What a weird boy.

Nightshade…no. She didn’t have to stay true to that name anymore. It had kept her sane, but she was free now. She could call herself Arianna again. Her human name. It almost felt weird and she tried say it out laud, “my name is Arianna…” The house didn’t greet back, but she hadn’t expected it to.

This was the human world. Walls didn’t talk here.

She was in a human home. Well… almost a human home – Danny, another halfa and her little cunning savior, lived her obviously. Apparently he had an older sister. She had a great taste in furniture, but the stuffed animals had confused her.

Didn’t Danny say she was the older sibling? A framed picture on the living room wall, answered her question. The four people smiled back from the frame and seemed like the perfect American suburban family – except the ghost guns and hazmat suit, that is.

Ghost hunters. She felt the old bloodlust move inside her. Forced habituation had given her an inner image of ghost hunters as feed and her training had told her to break them slowly, take her time and make a show, before killing them and consume them to the applause of the rows.

She focused on the grown Fenton couple and dragged a sharp fingernail down their smiling faces. She had seen red down in that the lab. Her training had made her attack them as a natural instinct and they had fought her like those dirty humans she had battled in the arena.

She had taken her time with the hunter couple like she would have done normally under observation, but it had felt…weird. Like something was missing? Applause maybe? Her human-self had interfered to, warned her that it would only cause her trouble killing them and surely bring a halfa with vengeance on her neck.

Not that she was scared of the young boy. No, no.

She had read his signature the second he crossed her cell and knew he was new in the field of ghost powers. Talented and with great potential…really cute for a teen with those big dreamy eyes and spikey hair.

A real mother’s boy – but still beneath her in the food chain (Wow, she got to stop thinking like that – nah, it was the truth, no use trying to deny it), but in time he could be the cover she needed. She was free, but on borrowed time and she knew it. 

She wasn’t delusion, they would come for her.

If not the slave-masters, then the bounty hunters and creatures that liked the challenge and promise of gold. She would be caught (alive, nothing worth dead) and dragged back either as Runners slave, or someone else’s.

She was too valuable and worth a fortune in the arena, to be left alone. She would need a shield, a bulletproof hideout, a haven…an allied. Danny Phantom had thrown his hero cape over her shoulders – why not use a willing protector? It was free and very few things in her life was nowadays.

It was settled then.

And speaking of gold, slavery and valuables…

She looked down herself and tugged her suspenders and stockings in thought. The sweater dress was her own. It had been stark white when she first came to the ghost zone, but like the rest of her transformation, it had made the dress negative like a photo and therefore black.

The Runners had let her keep it and she had even worn it under a suit of armor in the beginning, when she still needed body protection and was hopelessly inexperienced in battle. First after she had learned how to fight and gained control of her powers from hours of intense training, had the armor proved inhibiting and she had left it behind, in favor of fighting in the dress.

The open window cut to her cleavage, which she back in the human world had found sweet and ladylike, had quickly proven to attract a new kind of audience on the rows and soon Linda Runner had seen an opportunity for better publicity and given Arianna a new addition to her ghost outfit.

The lingerie had been part of her ghost side for so long now, that it had started patching itself up after every match, just like the wounds and bruises she suffered after each match. The audience seemed to like seeing her getting holes in her stockings, riling up her dress to show skin and break suspenders.

To her, they were just in the way and pretty much unnecessary, if not too fragile in battle – but Linda Runner always got what she wanted and for a time it had meant more food and longer nights for Arianna, so she had kept his mouth shut about the clothes ineptitude.

She contemplating throwing it away and see if Danny's mother had something different underwear she could steal, but changed her mind. She was old enough to wear lingerie and now that she was free and no longer fighting, it would just be underwear. Just underwear.

Something human and something normal. And moreover…it made her feel powerful. Strange but true.

She finished her meal and cleaned the bowl. Old dishes and utensils filled the sink and counters and as she had done so many times before in her human life – she started clean in a meditation like state.

Before she knew it, she had cleaned the counters, spayed the stove and wiped the oven. With a sparkling kitchen she moved back to the living room and passed a mirror. She stopped. It wasn’t like she hadn’t seen herself in ghost form before, but she never really got used to it.

The three eyes stared back, solid black and reflecting like those of a bug. She took a deep breath and reached into herself. Like a fast blood flow, the energy ran though her and the colors started to change. Her ghost glow fainted and the third eye closed and grew back into her forehead.

She stared at herself. The glamour had worked and it looked like her human form, but no quite. It was like the color palette was a little too light. Just next to the perfect tone and still so far away. But it could work and it would have to do.

The kid was strange and a little too naive or credulous for her taste, but she wasn’t going to break his trust by leaving this place. She needed to make a plane anyway. Just like last time she escaped, it had been an unexpected chance and she had been forced to act on instinct.

This was the farthest she ever come and it had worked this far. But not without problems. She stared at her hand and flexed it.

Her body…she was not fine – far from it. Could her healing power really save it? Would nutritious food, sleep and vitamins really be enough?

She didn’t know. The answer danced in the far future and she was in the present as always. One second at a time. Right now she had a teenage boy to dazzle and his trust to obtain. And seeming trustful and loving was her specialty, really.

The boy would never see it coming.

She let the stairs to the lab be and inspected the rest of the house. The lab had been a nightmare, the many strange ghost hunter object and weapons had sapped and drained her in the fight, when she had come into contact with them.

It was like a deathtrap for ghosts down there. How did the kid survive this long here, he apparently lived here…? With ghost hunting parents?

She shivered. No, best to stay upstairs and trust the boys word, that the portal was closed. She moved to the rooms upstairs and phased into her saviors. It was almost as she inspected. Boys would be boys she supposed.

The room was a regular mess. Empty food containers and dirty clothes where spread everywhere and his books and papers was in an order that could only be described as chaotic. A group of framed photos on the bedside table caught her attention and she lifted them one by one.

A family of six people in front of a house she recognized as this place – just in daylight – all smiling and happy like a group photo should be. The goth girl and geek boy from last night stood close to Danny and she expected they had to be close friends.

They had to be to wanna stick around a guy like Danny – going to the ghost zone, fighting ghosts and infiltrating the Cube…that was no picnic. They looked so young though…how old where they – 16?

Way too young to be going around saving people and risking their lives for people like her. Danny had to be bat-shit crazy to take his risks with a half-ghost like her. Well, that was her luck, right? A second on of just him and the goth girl, made Arianna’s lip curl up to a crocked smile.

For a pair that denied to be in a relationship, Danny was looking quite dazzled by the arm the girl had laid around his midsection. He looked in love.

She could use the human girl against him if needed in the future. She looked as if she would break like a dry stick by the slightest squeeze. _Snap._

Arianna left his room with a rag and bundle of laundry and found the washing machine downstairs. She was on a hunt for a vacuum cleaner when she passed the radio in the kitchen and saw the little digital clock.

Apparently it was late January. There had been snow outside, but she had been too distracted to think about it. A feeling of dread filled her chest and she moved back to the living room – she all forgot about the vacuum cleaner and moved cautiously to the TV.

The remote to the flat-screen was a higher and slightly smother technology type than she had ever seen before and now that she had seen the most of the house, she had been given a better image of what kind of technology that was common now days.

She found the remote with shaking hands and the television came to life. She felt her world collapsed into millions of pieces. The date on the screen was crystal clear and slashed though her body and soul like a rusty butter knife.

**Tuesday 27th, January 2009.**

Someone was hyperventilating somewhere and it took her some time to realize that the sound came from herself. Her body was shaking uncontrollable and she leaned up against the wall. It had occurred to her that a year or two may had passed in the ghost zone, but _this?_

She wanted to deny it. She dreamed of going to sleep and pretend it all had been a nightmare. That her eye was lying to her and someone was messing with her. But most of all, she wanted to deny. 

But denying was for the dead. Those who crumbled in the arena and cried out for help or mercy. Those who turned insane in the cold cells and bite their fingers to stubs. Those who told themselves that freedom was in the distance and kept hope in their heart. The ones who was brave and believed in escape plans, played heroes and underdogs.

The dead once. The once who denied reality.

She could almost hear the words of the slave warden from the first day of her life as fighter in the Cube.

_“You're part of the Cube now, scum. You're dead souls. You’re always be dead souls. You wake up, fight and go back to sleep. Repeat. You know who repeats and fight in here? The dead ones.”_

And he was right. She wasn’t alive anymore. She woke up with those words and went into the arena without fear or denial. No hope, no wish to deny reality, no escape. Only the knowledge that she would one day lose the fight.

And fulfill death like those before her.

 _“No,”_ she whispered. It was all different now. She was somewhere else. She _did_ escape and she _did_ get out. And who did that? The living. The living once _did_. 

“I show them,” she sneered.

The house telephone hang innocent in the kitchen and she grabbed it as if her life depended on it. She dialed the number she knew by heart, made ready to hear the voices and finally – What was she doing?

Her finger hovered over the last digit. Shaking. She stared at the phone and felt like hitting herself. How heartless could she be? Calling them would be curl. It would only make it worse and prolong their suffering.

Even if they come to know she was a live, then what? Drag them into the mess that was her life now? Telling them she was living and breathing, just to tell them she could never see them again? Giving them false _hope?_

Her finger deleted the numbers and the line went empty. She knew it was stupid but pressed the phone to her ear anyway, listened to the silence. Imagines that they could somehow hear her and get her words.

Understand that she hadn’t abandoned them by choice. That she was no runaway and selfish girl to just go without a word or message. That she wasn’t some dead corps lying just outside there reach and knowledge.

“...jeg…jeg er ked af det…tilgiv mig.”

-

Vlad Masters rotated the vin in his glass. Watching the screen as the young woman slide down the kitchen wall and kept sopping and apologize one the empty phone line. His computer translated her words and made them out as a subtitle. _“…I…I am sorry…forgive me.”_

“Trying to call home, little lady?” he asked the screen and smirked in some sort of symphony. The female halfa was an enigma and one he was solving in this very second.

The minute he had shaken the hand of Phantom back in the forest to the sound of Nightshades torture of Linda Runner, the older ghost hybrid had returned to his resident in Wisconsin and secured the spy-bugs he left in the Fenton home and the bush behind Daniel.

To his amusement and huge satisfaction, Daniel had won the female over to his side and persuaded her to follow him home. The spy-bug had followed them on a safe distance and settled with the rest in the house, as the two ghost-hybrids settled for the night.

The second part of his plan was set into motion and he could lean back and let things unfold on their own. He had congratulated himself with a toast and went to bed. With a short message to his secretary and a short lecture of why he as the owner of the companies could take a day of for once if he wanted in the middle of the raising stoke season, he had settled behind the screens at 07:00 a.m. and observed his little project.

As expected the boy woke up first and seemed unsure of how to approach his guest. Vlad had watched as she made the boy breakfast like the most natural thing in the world and sent him on his way. Daniel was far more trusting than Vlad expected or liked, but until now, his trust had been justified.

She had stayed.

The scene on the screen made Vlad Masters recall another time. The girl was free from her enslavement, but not without a dire price to pay. Her reaction was the same as the one he had once awaking to after the four-year long coma and just like her, he had been alone and isolated.

The isolation from mankind and loss of human rights could do something to a person. He had been trapped in the hospital after his awakening. First, with the promise that he only had little time again before final death and later caged under cold and cynical observation when he continued to live beyond their expectations that never seemed to end.

Doctors had treated him as a mere guinea pig and ignored his plea for help and explanation of his condition. Without either family or friends at his side, the hospitalization had left him with a sense of powerlessness and fear.

A fear of his new unexplained powers that both frightened and seduced him. Like all traumas that affects people, he began to search for an explanation of his suffering and for him it had been resentment.

The anger of being disfigured and left in the middle of his distress, of those he considered his friends nonetheless. Anger had made it possible for him to rise again and risen as a phoenix he had. He had rebuilt his life to his liking and made his planes in the dark, driven by the hunger for revenge and power.

He didn’t see the same anger in the woman before him on the screens, but he knew from her reputation that Nightshade was a cold hearted killer without a shred of compassion in her. Like him she wore her true colors on the inside.

The tears that felt from her cheeks made him nod to himself. Wrongs had been done to this unfortunate soul and she survived by the darkness that formed in her core. The only way one could.

Not that she had been innocent as a human. Vlad had taken his precautions and studied her backstory, as he did with all the people he wanted to either own, destroy or manipulate. Arianna Vølver had been a university student in her final year of a cand.mag with classic history as her field.

The girl had been well-liked and highly respected by her peers and since her sudden disappearance, she was sought after with great care. Unfortunately, it had proven to be a highly complex task, really.

Since she was a Danish citizen, but disappeared on an expatriate study on American ground, the FBI and PET had been forced to work together, which had been an utter disaster. The situation had ended in a stalemate of bureaucratic quarrels and internal police battle for dominance with silly pissing contests and open culture differences.

With the investigation down the drain, the media had taken over the case and made it their mission to fed readers with speculation and silly twists without the slightest of evidence.

After a year without any demands of release money, he polices suspicion of a kidnapping case scenario had been abandoned and the family had promised a reward for any information about their daughter's whereabouts.

Many people had claimed themselves rightful of the money and told about how they believed to have seen the girl in a crowd on their vacation, while others claimed to have met her in shady places. A simplified even reported himself to the police.

Telling that he had raped, strangled and run the girl through a meat grinder. The European newspapers had shot the case completely off track, only making the investigation harder than it had to be. But since there weren’t found any evidence that the man had done anything of all these claims, he was not convicted for murder but hospitalized.

All to the major outrage and disappointment of the readers and press.

After a while, the interest in the case and lack of further tracks, the case was closed and archived as unsolved. A reward was offered still. It was set by the Danish authorities and backed up by the family.

Arianna Mari Vølver may have disappeared into thin air, but she was still a Danish citizen and as the country with highest paying taxpayers in the world, it was too early to give up hope and declare her deceased.

At least not until a dead body was found or a twenty years disappearing period had passed.

Vlad’s interest had increased at her more personal history investigation. The media had dug up everything there was to find about the girl's privacy and a rosy picture of an innocent young woman with a brilliant future's ahead of her, had sold the front pages, along with all the possible and macabre vanishing causes that could have surpassed her.

People seemed to love histories about young women who were kidnapped, murdered or tortured by unknown male psychopaths. Interviews with family and friends had made three things clear. 1. The girl was innocence itself, 2. she had been reserved and last but not least, and 3. all had more or less known her to be a virgin.

The latter had only reinforced the theories of trafficking and kidnapping. Only one case had segregated from the others rosy opinions.

A Miss Wendy Raquel had been bold enough to commented in the open on her missing fellow students and described Miss Vølver as a selfish person who manipulated and abused others to promote herself, while hiding under an innocent façade to gain sympathy.

Miss Ragel’s opinion had not been welcomed in the public mourn of Miss Vølver and the woman became denigrated by all of her own fellow students. Miss Ragel’s mouth had finally been shut when the family had dragged her through the court.

Several had comment over the incident and believed she only had spoke out of revenge, because of a friendship that had gone awry between her and the missing - an affair in which the victim had earned everyone's support and Miss Ragel had become a despised person at the university.

Vlad had been fascinated by this one contradiction and made his own investigations. Several cases of unsolved thievery had emerged in the hybrids past human footsteps and even though it had been set aside as plain fear of a girl who lived alone, the police had found several knives hidden around in Arianna’s apartment.

Back on the screen, the hybrid had abandon the phone and the pointless staring at blank walls. She moved on with her housekeeping and turned the radio on. The modern music seemed to confuse her at first, but soon she sang along on the chord, to Vlad’s amusement.

She was an intriguing creature.

He had been made aware of her existence half a year ago. It had been pure coincidence and if fate had willed it differently, she would still have been a slave and kept existing right outside of Vlad's span of knowledge.

The hunter Skulker had been in his servitude for almost ten years now and even though they were clearly employer and employee, a more relaxed relationship had developed between them over time and they would make friendly conversations, when Skulker came to pick up his promised parts and weapons.

It had been an ordinary afternoon when the hunter had examined one of Vlad's newest nets with a large grin, “ha! I can’t wait to try this one out on the whelp.”

"I would prefer that you use the less destructive once. I allow you to hunt the boy for sport, but you are still not allowed to kill him."

Skulker had seemed disappointed and murmured to himself, "two matching pelts and I can’t get any of them up on my damn wall!"

Vlad had been enraged in the belief that his employee was insulting him so openly and been ready to punish him for his misconduct, when Skulker had looked at him in surprise.

"What? No, not you, Plasmius. The kitten, the female halfa from the arena."

Vlad had kept the hunter for five hours to get all the details. Apparently a bunch of slave hunters had picked up a signal from a real world item out in an abandoned area of the ghost zone and found a disoriented human being.

On the way they had been given somewhat of a surprise, when she phased out of their cage. They had all heard the sound of a cash register in their heads and brought her to the auction and meet up with the auction leader, Runner.

He had paid them a fair, but ridiculous low price and made ready to sell the ghost-hybrid for a grand income, when his wife had seen the girl bite one of her captors in the face and decided to making the hybrid her own. The rest was history.

Vlad had made his trips to the Soul Center and made his connections. The chances of seeing or meet the ghost-hybrid in person had turned out to be impossible, even with the Skeleton key in his possession.

Vlad needed a way into the proud and corrupted world of the Cube, and that fast, since time was ticking. He had needed a decoy and as any other problem Vlad Masters had ever encountered, he always found a way in.

And that way had turned out to be another ghost-hybrid.

The queen had been placed on his board and put into play. His favorite runner had been placed at her side and stood as a trusting ally, against the rest of the board. Vlad smirked.

“Your move, Daniel. But don’t worry. Sooner or later we will all be the same color on this chessboard.”


	17. On Wednesday we wear pink.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello kittens   
> new chapter one a friday as promised - this will be the procedure from now on and i think i will be able to keep up with the shorter deadline - don't worry   
> hope you enjoy!
> 
> * * *

“So let me get this straight one more time. You watched as this woman killed and devoured another ghost without as much as lifting a finger, made a deal with Plasmius not to expose him in exchange for a yearlong truce… and then you randomly decided to become besties with this crazy cannibalistic psychopath and let her into your home?”

Sam gave him an incredulous look, “are you out of your fucking mind, Danny Fenton?”

“Sorry dude, but I’m with Sam in this one.”

“Danny I can’t believe you let her sleep in my bed!” Jazz deadpanned and ran a hand through her shoulder long hair. She had cut it last fall to look more mature, but Danny just though it made her look like a kid trying to pose as an adult – the blue skirt and blazer, she had started to wear, didn’t change that either.

“I can’t believe you did this, Danny. Even I can see this halfa is dangerous!”

Danny groaned. Sam, Tucker and Jazz where giving him a hard time outside Casper high, where Jazz had promised to pick them up. Like he actually needed this right now.

The trip to the hospital had been exhausting enough and he still felt guilty by letting the one who put his parents there, into his home in the first place.

Not that he regretted it, but lying to his parents with an angry sister burning holes in the back of his head, had been a bad start on the morning. His mother’s bones and fractures would heal and his father was out of the danger zone with the help of a lot of ice and stitches, thank god.

They would be kept on monitoring a little while and Jazz would be living with him until her exams later spring. Danny had rolled his eyes when his dad had whined, “and V-man was visiting and everything. He left so fast, he didn’t even get to say goodbye! His never going to visit again, darn spooks!”

 _If only,_ Danny had wished and followed Jazz back to the car. Maybe telling her everything on the way to the hospital had been a bad idea. He had listened with a half ear, as she ranted about how irresponsible and daft he was and started shouting when he phased out of the car and took the rest of the way to school by air.

Tucker and Sam had been no different and school had been hell. Dash had sniffed his despair out like a bloodhound and bugged Danny like it was his devoted duty. Danny’s mood had lifted a little, when one of his duplicates had possessed Dash and made the jerk start hitting himself, but not his friends.

Sam was a ticking bomb and Tucker kept tucking his neck, touching the spot where Nightshade had left a phantom bite-mark. He had kept scratching his hair to get the feeling of her nails out of his head, so Sam had brought a Rastafari hat from one of the hipsters in the schoolyard and placed it kindly, but sternly on Tuckers head to keep him from tearing his scalp out.

The colorful hat with the orange, green and yellow stripes had actually worked and Tucker seemed to have forgotten his traumas for a time. To busy study his new look in all mirror reflections.

But the hat hadn’t been enough to keep Sam from taking her shit out on him and Danny had – stupidly, but true – hoped to push the discussion to the inevitable confrontation he knew would come by the end of the day, when they had to face his new roommate.

Nevertheless, it seemed that a confrontation before going home was inevitable and now that they were all in the car, they let their anger rain down on him like a fucking acid shower.

He pulled up the hut of his red hoody to take cover, “Look! It’s not like that, guys – I’m not besties with her, but you should have seen her. She needed help. What did you expect me to do? Leave her in the forest?”

 _“Yes,”_ Sam and Tucker replied, but not Jazz, “No! We need to contain her and find a way to control this unstable individual! I need to study her!”

Danny gave her a look, “she’s not a field study, Jazz. What are you gonna do? Keep her in a cage and feed her every seventh day? Watch her fight the other caged blob ghosts’ dad has captured down the lab and open your own fight-club? Oh I know! We just let her back into the ghost zone and buy tickets to the next arena game!”

Sam scowled, “like she deserves any better. And what the hell is Vlad playing at? You can be sure she’s dangerous, if the fruitloop runs from the responsibility and leave you with the mess.”

“Dude! You’re seriously screwed. That lunchbox was probably poison after all,” Tucker said and Danny heard his stomach growl. Sam had forbid him from taking one bite of Nightshades packed lunch – and wouldn’t even buy him something else out of sheer spite.

Danny had thrown it out, but not without admiring the little sandwiches, fruit pack and cookies, she packed with a Caprisun. Great. Now he felt guilty again.

“If she wanted to kill me, she could have killed me in my sleep or drugged the omelet. She’s not like that, guys. Just wait and see.”

Sam snorted sarcastic, “yeah, we just gonna do that. I just can’t wait – you made a psychotic half-ghost stay at your home and let her alone in the house for at least four hours. And you say I come up with stupid ideas? You lucky if the house is still there.”

Danny hoped his guts were right on this one. He had taken a huge chance, he was painfully aware. If she had left and made him look like an idiot, it would probably serve him right. He sighed in sweet relief when Fenton Works stood untouched on the street, without fire on the roof or broken windows.

“See? Who’s stupid now?”

“Hold your horses, little brother,” Jazz warned and parked the car, “we haven’t seen the inside yet.”

Sam pulled her guns out from her backpacks, while Tucker made a thermos ready and Danny turned ghost with a sigh. Jazz walked to the front door with determination and pulled the Fenton-peeler out from her handbag.

The gun did its wonder and clad her entirely in metal parts and weaponry. She turned the key in the lock as stealthy as possible and Sam and Tucker nodded like soldiers going to bust the place of Saddam Hussain.

Danny rolled his eyes, but followed. They kicked open the door and pointed their weapons. Danny and the rest stopped and tried to comprehend what they were seeing.

“…Did mom and dad redecorated the house while I was gone?” Jazz asked confused and stared at the furniture, that all had been moved to new locations and cleaned with great care.

Flowers from the garden decorated every surface in little vases Danny didn’t even knew they owned and candles was lid in the living room. The sound of classic ballroom music made them exchange looks and they follow the sound to the kitchen. Sam blinked, “what the…?”

Danny’s eyes told him that Valerie Grey were dancing in his kitchen and that with a black shadow. The rest of his mind caught up with him a second later and told him this chick was too old, smaller framed and a little lighter in the tone, to be the red huntress.

The woman looked like she was in her early 20’s and owned a warm skin tone, with light brown hair. She had styled the long strains up in a light bun on the back of her head, resembling a rose and looked terribly complicated.

Small gold framed glasses resting on the nose and a pink wide skirt suited the tight black sweater and black boots. The shadow made a dip and the woman spotted them in surprise.

"Oh, hey, Danny. Didn’t _feel_ you there," she giggled upside down and was pulled to her feet again by the shadow, “and you brought friends, how nice.”

Danny just stared at her, “…Nightshade?”

“The one and only,” she said and the shadow disappeared into her, making her shiver. The male halfa couldn’t believe it, “this is your human form!?”

“What? Oh, no, no Danny, this is my ghost glamor. It’s just camouflage, so I don’t scare kids on the street.”

“Halfas can do that?” he asked amazed. He knew it was possible for ghost to camouflage as humans – Dora had tricked them with her human looking glamor, when she was looking for a suitable bride on her brothers’ orders and the DALV pilot had turned out to be a ghost in disguise as well.

Maybe Spectra’s human looking form was a glamor too? And not to mention those ghosts from the Circus Gothica. But he never thought about trying it himself or watched Vlad do it.

She just shrugged, “I guess halfas don’t really need that power, since we can just turn human, but I have needed it a couple of time,” she said and waved with the bracelet under her sleeve, “remember?”

The others had watched them with closed expression and Danny was reminded of where he was, when Jazz coughed bluntly.

“So, you’re Nightshade right?” She started tentatively.

Arianna,” the halfa corrected her and Jazz took notes, “alright, _Arianna_ , I’m Danny’s older sister, Jasmine Fenton, but you can call me Jazz. Would you mind if I ask you a few questions?”

Tucker sniffed, “what’s that?” Arianna’s eyes widened comically, “MY PIE!” and ran to the oven. Sam took advantage of the break in conversation and dragged them all to the living room.

“Have you all gone nuts!? This isn’t an audience with the queen of Wales, she’s a fucking lunatic and all you do I buddy-talk with her – what’s wrong with you!?”

“Sam you’re overreacting,” Danny replied tired and she looked like she would explode.

“You tell me I’m overreacting? There’s an evil Snow White imposter in your kitchen! You should be at least _reacting_ , Danny!”

“She’s just trying to be nice, Sam.”

“Yeah right, and later we’ll be having teatime with Skulker – I’m not buying this!”

Jazz wrote something down on her pad, “well, she seems calm and stable enough – maybe a little too stable – I say we play along and study her. This could be interesting.”

Sam tucked her pointy bangs with a pained expression, “I can’t believe this.” They all looked up when the halfa returned.

“Sorry about that,” Arianna said and walked into the room, with a steaming pie, “It’s a good thing I made a full recipe, else there wouldn’t have been enough for everyone – who want some?”

Sam crossed her arms dismissive and stared at the pie on the tables, like it was a ticking bomb. Tucker and Jazz both looked hesitating and Danny rolled his eyes, “you guys are so fucking paranoid.”

“Danny, don’t,” jazz warned, but he ignored her and took a plate. Arianna served him a piece and decorated it with wiped cream. Danny stared them dead in the eye and took a big bite.

It was as he expected. Pretty good.

“See? Now stop being fucking rude and try it. It’s good.”

The female halfa smiled thankful and served for Tucker and Jazz. Sam declined. They all sat in an awkward silence while they ate and Nightshade was more than delighted when Tucker asked for his forth piece of apple-pie.

Danny and Jazz made a sigh of relief, when the female halfa decided to break the ice. “So you guys help Danny with superhero duty?”

Tucker snorted and Jazz even smiled, “well, mostly we just help Danny where we can, but we’re more ghost hunters than superheroes. Danny thinks he can escape the family business, but it seems like his gonna be the next Fenton hunter after all,” Jazz said and tousled Danny hair.

Danny gave her a scowl and Tucker laughed, “yeah dude, you’ll probably inherit this whole place and make it your bat-cave or something – Danny’s kind of obsessed with comic heroes,” he entrusted the smiling woman and scouted a little closer to her on the couch, now that she seemed safe and approachable.

“You’re kind of powerful yourself, you could totally be the next Catwoman or something,” Tucker said and suddenly snapped his fingers, “we need to find you a new name to – how about Arianna Night?”

“Only batman can be the Night,” she said in a serious manner, but returned to her cheery demeanor a second after, “but if you insist, I could change Nightshade to Arianna Shade – but can I ask you why? Isn’t using your first name a little dangerous? Danny Fenton…Danny _Phantom?_ Haven’t people noticed?”

“Oh snap, dude,” Tucker grinned and Danny felt a cold case of déjà vu. Dan Phantom had said the exact same thing a moment before he had tried to kill Danny’s loved ones.

“Uh...yeah, I guess. But mom and dad is still clueless, so it’s not a problem.”

Arianna stared at him curios, “you haven’t told them? That’s tough.”

“I know,” Danny sighed, “but they’re ghost hunters, what am I supposed to do?”

She thought about it, “Well the most logical would be telling them. They seem like reasonable people and loving parents, if I can be so frank and conclude from our short encounter in the lab –”

Danny winched, but made her continue.

"– but,” she then stated and gave him a serious look, “they are ghost hunter too. Something have kept you from telling them and that feeling could mean you in some way knows that they won’t accept your ghost side, Danny.”

Jazz didn’t look pleased by this, but Danny felt relived. His fear of telling his parents had been a burden for him some time now, and having it put into plain words was amazing.

“So you telling me to continue keeping it a secret?”

“If I were you, yes.”

“What kind of bullshit advise is that!?” Sam had placed herself in the chair, away from the others and starred at them, “Danny, you can seriously take advise from a lunatic who eats her own kind!”

The sound of utensils hitting a plate, startled them all and they turn to Arianna. Her cheery expression was gone and replaced with a stone cold gaze. The young girl had faded and an adult had taken her place, “this may be a hunch, but I say you want to pick a fight with me.”

Sam stood and the two females began a staring fight. Danny literally felt the temperature drop to frost degrees and tried to find the best way to stop the possible bitch fight, “hey, you two –”

“Stay out of it, Danny!” the both sneered and Danny sat down on the minute.

“I have taken Danny’s word that I can stay here and if you have anything to say to me, then spit it, young lady,” Arianna said warningly and Sam’s cheeks burned. Only her mother talked to her that way.

“I don’t care what you have done to get Danny to bent around your finger like this, but if you think you can just come here and hurt everyone, threaten to kill Tucker and use Danny like a fucking shield, then guess what, you _can’t_. I’m on to you, bitch!’”

“Oh, you think you would have done any different in my position? Really? Yeah, I know I fucked up and I know I’ve done things I shouldn’t be proud of – but that’s life for a running slave, Missy.”

She turned to the rest of them, “but she’s right, I hurt you all and I’m sorry. I truly am. I could tell you I was desperate and had no other choice, but that’s not good enough and it never will be. But I am sorry - Danny.”

He blinked and felt his mouth dried out, “uhh, yes?”

“If you want to cancel your offer, it okay with me. If you don’t want me to stay here, all you have to do is say it. I will leave and never bother you or anyone here again. I promise.”

Behind her Sam made gesture for him to say yes, but he jumped from the couch in protest, “what? No! I’m not backing out of this.”

“Danny, she’s a fugitive! They’ll come looking for her and bring us more problems than good,” Sam sneered but Danny stood his ground, “they come looking for me anyway and what makes this any different than the time we helped Wulf?”

“It’s not the same!”

“How is it _not_ the same!?”

“I don’t know what the hell you two are talking about, but it ends now!” Jazz interfered and separated the teens, “if you two are too immature to decide something useful, then I will! – Arianna.”

Arianna turned to her with a determined expression. Jazz straighten her cardigan with something that was supposed to look grown-up and authoritatively, “I decide in this house and I say you can stay for a while.”

 _You just wanna study her!_ Danny thought, but said, “nice!”

 _“Fine!”_ Sam shouted and went for the door. Tucker followed her out, but not without pointing at Arianna with a finger-gun and winked. “See you tomorrow!”

Danny, Jazz and Arianna was left in the living room and heard the door getting slammed. “Well, that went well,” Danny sighed sarcastic and fell back into the couch, “I just pissed of one of my only friends.”

“She’ll be back,” jazz replied knowingly and turned to their guest, “about those questions I wanted to ask you?”

Danny groaned and pressed his face into a pillow. This wasn’t going like he acted it out in the shower this morning.


	18. All I wanna do (Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! and a Click! Ka-Ching!) and take your money.

Jazz hummed cheery as they sat at the morning table – day two of the Shade incident – and eat their served breakfast. Their guest had spent the night on a spare mattress in Jazz room and where now humming along on his older sister’s tune, as she made pancakes on the stove. 

It was a nice way to start the morning and even Jazz seemed at peace – when she wasn’t trying to changing the humming tone to see how the other would react to the disorder, or study the other female by her actions, by throwing random questions at her, of course. 

Danny got a glimpse of her notes. 

_Third state of denial?_

_See cases: battered women - physical abuse - post-traumatic stress disorder_

_Tries to outweigh domestic violence, with feminine stereotype based behavior? - Uses house chores as calming Means_

_See check-list for narcissism – mirror reflections seems to attract her and she seems prudish with her hair and clothes_

_Check her old human records for family background – I say a responsible oldest sibling, possible use to take care of younger boys or boyish girls_

_See OCD symptoms_

He rolled his eyes and observed the notes subject as she placed another stack of pancakes on his plate. She seemed normal enough… 

“Something wrong?” 

He snapped out of his speculations and gave what he hoped was a normal smile, “nah, I’m just full, you really don’t have to cook you know, you’re not our house slave or something.” 

_“Wrong use of words,”_ Jazz coughed and Danny gave her a look, “smooth.” 

Arianna stacked the last pancakes away and stores them next to the new Fenton-ham in the fridge, “it’s not like that, Danny. I haven’t been in a real kitchen for a while and I missed it. Really. Anyway, it’s the least I can do to thank you two for letting me stay here.” 

“I know,” Danny started hesitantly, “but what about your family?” She stopped in motion, “what about them?” Jazz watched her closely and took notes. Danny ignored her, “well I just thought…you know…that you maybe liked to let them know that you’re alright and all?” 

“I don’t think that would be a good idea.” 

“Why not? You afraid they won’t accept you either?” 

“Even if I returned to Denmark, I don’t think I would tell them. Ever.” 

“Then what’s keeping you from going home?” 

She said something uncomprehending and both Jazz and Danny leaned closer, “what?” 

“They probably think I’m dead by now…” she said slowly and made an aloof expression. She seemed to close in on herself. Danny didn’t get it, “you really think they just abandon you like that?” 

Even Jazz seemed surprised, “I’m sure they still looking after you after a year or –” 

“It’s been ten years.” 

Jazz spit out her juice and Danny lost his jaw, “what!?” 

The female halfa sighed and sat down, “it’s been ten years. I was shock myself, but when I looked outside the windows and saw just how much the world has change…it’s pretty clear to me now.” 

Danny felt like a fuse had blown inside his head, “how the hell could you not know!?” 

She shrugged, “there’s no watches or real meaning of time in the ghost zone, like on earth. I tried keeping track on time by making lines on the wall in my cell, but then they moved me and I lost track on time, days, months…and apparently years,” she said quietly, “I guess time just doesn’t matter to ghosts, if they don’t experience a change in themselves. Ghost only age if they allow themselves and they aren’t bound by sleep, food or timelines like the rest of us. I thought I been in there three years’ tops.” 

Jazz had stopped her note taking, “how did you even get in there in the first place?” Danny had a bad feeling about this. His parents had turned him by accident, just like Vlad before him and that just made two out of three, on his parent’s behalf. He crossed his finger under the counter. Please don’t say – 

“It was in an accident, really. I was just moving some boxes when it happened.” 

_\- Oh pew._

“I was looking for an old ghost portal device. I must have kick-started it when it fell down over me.” 

_Dammit!_

“Let me guess, the Ghost Portal experiment of the University of Wisconsin-Madison?” he sighed and she blinked surprised, “you know about it?” 

“Our parents build that portal,” Jazz replied with an embarrassed expression, “that and the one down in the lab that turned Danny.” Danny made ready for shouting and a hysterical scene. If he were in her little high heeled boots, he would have been furious. 

Oh no, was she gonna cry? Throw things? Destroy the portal!? Kill his parents!? 

A hand landed on his shoulder and she smiled, “then I have your parents to thank.” 

“For what?” the two siblings asked in confusion. Arianna lighted up in a great smile. A little too wide if Danny should be honest. “For my powers of course,” she almost purred. “Without them, I would still be a simple human. I pay any price for these powers. Slavery was even worth it.” 

Danny shared a look with Jazz. Maybe he had been a little too quick to assess her sane? \- 

“Wow,” Tucker said munching on his spaghetti, “teen years? Really?” 

“No wonder she’s so freaking borderline crazy,” Sam said with a shiver, “I can barely stand being in there for more than a day.” 

Danny scowled. The ghost zone could be dark and heavy, yes, but to him it was a whole different experience. He hadn’t felt it at first, but with the years, he could feel a change in his core and ghost form. It was like he was fueled by energy or something. 

The place spoke to him like a second home and the green sphere gave him a freedom no night sky ever could. The place itself had its own beauty and mystic, but he supposed you had to be a ghost or half ghost to understand it. 

“Yeah, apparently the only one who keeps track on time in there is Clockwork.” 

“Make sense,” Tucker said and twilled his fork, “but it makes you wonder, just how many people have your parents turned without knowing?” 

Danny gave him a nasty look and Tucker understood it was time to change subject, “and now we talk about them, how are they hanging?” 

“Dad got a concussion and broken arm, but he gets released from the hospital first. Mom is another story, her ribs is still healing and her leg needs a lot of rest before she can come home.” 

“What are you gonna do when they come home and find a third resident? Hide her in the kitchen?” Sam grinned. Danny had actually debated the exact same thing the entire morning, but pushed it away, since it wouldn’t be a problem before three weeks. 

“I can do that?” 

“Dude, I think it’s pretty sweet,” Tucker replied, “it’s like having one of those foreigner housekeepers – you know, just younger, better looking and working for free.” 

The two boys shared a wide grin and Sam rolled her eyes, “nice, we just got her out of slavery and right into the role as your servant. Such’s heroes.” 

They ignored her and high-fived, “and you guys knows what the best is?” Danny asked and leaned back in the seat. 

“What?” 

“No more armature training,” he smiled, “I haven’t asked her, but I’m sure she say yes. That fighting style of her is pretty sweet. I could learn whole new halfa powers, without Vlad. This is genius!” 

“You gonna misuse her like that? Good luck with that,” Sam snorted, “girls like her don’t do anything for free you know. She’s only nice and friendly ‘cause she owes you. When she feels like she done enough for you and she’s healed, she leaves you without a word. Trust me.” 

“Maybe,” Danny said with a shrug, “but that doesn’t mean what I can’t get what I can from her until then, does it?” 

“Whatever, Danny.” 

The bell rang and they packed their lunch away. Sam couldn’t deny him his lunch this time and he had emptied the homemade lunchbox with her judgmental stare the whole time, but it had been worth it. 

The halfa surely could cook. It had just pissed her more of, when Danny had emptied his backpack and pulled out a lunchbox for both her and Tucker as well. The one with Sam’s name on it was even ultra-recyclo-vegetarian and the goth had seen red, when she discovered that Arianna had drawn a face on the rice with soya. Creating the ultimate ultra-recyclo-vegetarian paradox. 

Sam had clearly not found the joke amusing. Danny had to fake a cough to cover his laughing. 

Mr. Lancer watched as they entered the classroom, with a tired expression and closed the door. “Alright class, you know what day it is, it’s time for a test.” 

Everyone groaned and someone even banged their head down on the table. Danny felt for once prepared. He had actually studied without getting disturbed by the ghost fighting for once and although the subject was the Founding fathers, he felt that he could do it with a good grade in sight. Mist left his lips and she sighed. 

“Yes, Mr. Fenton?” 

“Can I be excused?” he asked and already knew the answer. Lancer gave him a stern look, but let him go, “you have ten minutes before the test starts – be there.” 

Danny had improved, but Mr. Lancer seemed to expect it was only a phase or something. Not many low grade students, improved and stayed there. 

Danny nodded with a bright smile and ran out the door, with thumps up from both Sam and Tucker. Danny ran to the boy’s bathroom and made sure he was alone. 

He changed to ghost form in front of the mirror and made a duplicate. The duplicate changed back to human form and return to the classroom. He followed his double by their telepathic link and watched through the duplicate’s eyes, as Lancer blinked confused, “what was fast…” 

Phantom grinned and phased though the roof to take care of the ghost. He bailed his fist, ready to a territory fight and turned to the signature. The ghost turned around just as surprised, “oh there you are!” 

“Nightshade? What are you doing here?” His mind warned him that this would happen. Told him he had startled her in doing something suspicious, something wrong and started ranting through the endless possibilities, when she just handed him a pencil case. 

“You forgot this one on the counter and I didn’t know where you were going to school, so I was just flying from building to building, till I caught on to your signature. Here you go.” 

_Nice Fenton, she was just being nice – again._ He took it a little embarrassed, “thanks…” He spotted a group of ghosts behind her shoulder, “looks like you’re not the only ghost on my radar today – I gotta go.” 

“Superhero duty?” she asked with a crocked smile, “can I watch?” 

He didn’t see why not and she followed him with a little distance. Giving him his space. The group of lower primitive ghosts was clearly not here to challenge him for his territory, but get a cheap scare and Danny rolled his eyes. 

The ghosts discovered him before he could get to them and took of flying. Danny followed them and shot a warning shoot. Two of them turned around and attacked. 

Danny smirked and fired without much effort. Ghost hunting had gotten a lot easier since his powers started develop and his reflexes had improved a lot. He spotted Nightshade out of the corner of his eye and showed of a little. 

If she saw just how much he was capable of, it would be easier to convince her to train him. He twilled the thermos in his hand and sucked the two ghost up in no time. Behind him the halfa clapped with a smile and Danny bowed. 

The six other ghost had headed for the town and they followed in high speed. Danny watched as she kept up by teleporting and wondered if he could learn to do that too. 

It would make it impossible to race him and he liked the speed of flying. One of the ghost broke a fire hydrant and threw it after the two halfas. Danny dodge and Nightshade teleported in the last second. 

More stuff where thrown their way and Danny dived into the street. Nightshade observed from the roof of a car. 

The ghosts changed tactic and started firing ectoblasts after him from different hideouts on the street. He answered the fire and phased though different cars, mailboxes and streetlamps to get to them. 

He sucked the last into the thermos and returned to Nightshade. An explosive shot made one of the shop windows rain with glass over the street and the ghost possessed on of the mannequins’. 

It came at him with sharp legs and arms and started firing at him. Danny turned intangible, “hey fashion queen! If you’re looking for the catwalk, this is the wrong week!” 

The ghost cried out as Danny phased it out of the plastic body and blasted it to kingdom come. The ghost roared as he caged it in the thermos and he turned in satisfaction to Nightshade. She had left the car and he took a second to find her again. 

She had moved to the broken shop window and he followed her in, “hey, we better get going, before the police and Guys in White arrives…wait, what are you doing?” 

Nightshade turned to him with an innocent face and let go of the shirt, “me? Just shopping, hey Danny, can I ask you something?” he followed her though the now empty shop, since everyone had fled at first ghost in sight. 

“How come you wearing a cloak? Aren’t superheroes supposed to wear capes?” 

He winced a little. He’s ghost half had thought the same thing when they had been separated and taken a bedsheet as substitute. The memory made him shrink in embarrassment. For fuck sake Phantom, get some style. 

He had actually though of getting a cape, but the image of Dan Phantom kept coming back to him and capes where a thing Vlad Plasmius digged, so he had made his decision. 

He would wear something Clockwork style – but in white. 

“It’s a personal thing. Anyway, capes are overrated. I used to go without, but wanted something more to my outfit. All cool ghost wear something like that.” 

She nodded in thought, “then in that case,” she removed a long slim coat from one of the racks and threw it over her shoulders. She locked it to her shoulders with a black chain made from her black power and turned the rest of the jacked black as well. 

Danny had to admit it was a stylish and clever alternative to a cape – but, “you not gonna pay for that?” 

“Why should I?” she asked as if it was the most ridiculous thing she ever heard, “I like it, I take it.” 

“But that’s stealing!” 

“So? I don’t have a job or the money to pay for it – what do you want from me?” 

“Oh I don’t know - Don’t take it?” He scowled, but she just giggled, “oh come on, Danny. You safe these people every day and that for free. Don’t you think they can make a little exception and let you take a ruined jacket? It’s not like I can turn it back to normal anyway and the shop would throw it out in the end – so who’s loosing anything?” 

He didn’t have an answer to that and she flew past him and out of the shop. Danny searched his pockets and left three dollars on the counter. It wasn’t enough, but took some of the guilt of his conscious. He followed the halfa with his eyes as she took off into the air. 

This wouldn’t be easy…


	19. This is between a waltz and a tango – it’s a wango?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys  
> I have some problems with my computer and had to send it back to the store, so right now i'm posting from a local computer at my university - but I'll try and keep up with the Friday deadline anyway  
> hope you enjoy - comments are always welcome
> 
> * * *

“And this is all the ghosts Danny had either pissed off or fought for dominance,” Tucker instructed and scrolled though the profiles of Danny’s program of ghost files on his PDA. Arianna took notes and nodded in an interested manner.

“Danny groaned. After his’s hero performance down town, the halfa had started to follow them on all their ghost hunts and showed up whenever Danny was in a fight or saving the citizens.

“It wouldn’t be a problem if she just didn’t steal the stuff people deserted in their rush to get away, or got in the way of the fights. When he had tried to stop Ember from brainwashed the teens in a nightclub, Nightshade had stopped him, telling him that he couldn’t "kill the beat!"

“When Spectra had showed up to drain a retirement home for life energy, the two of them had hugged in sweet reunion. Apparently “Penny” had been Nightshades therapist in a short while when the halfa was a slave champion and had such privileged. 

“Danny was freaking out. Most ghost seemed to know who Nightshade was and most of them was Danny enemies.

“He watched in silence as Tucker told embarrassing anecdotes about him and Arianna giggled like a school girl. What the actual hell.

“And this is Dan/Dark Phantom – he’s Danny’s alternative timeline evil self. Or ‘Danny on ghost steroids and not the good kind’, as Sam likes to call him. He’s pretty much a psychopath.”

“You had a fight with your future self?” she asked incredulous, “wow, time-travel, huh? Can’t imagine how that must be like – how did you get into another alternative timeline in the first place?”

“Tucker scrolled back to Danny’s allies, “this guy. He’s called Clockwork, the Master Yoda of the ghost zone and timekeeper of this world, if not more. He’s the one who saved us all from total death and destruction…and actually dragged us into it all in the first place. It goes both ways.”

“I think he knew what he was doing,” Sam replied from her phone on the couch. She had returned with Tucker, but didn’t seem happy about it. Danny had begged her to come home with him and at least try to get along with the other halfa.

“She had given in and bit the sour lemon – but not without bringing her own food and insisted on being mean to the female halfa, whenever she got the chance. Not that it seemed to bother Arianna that much.

“She took Sam’s comment with a slight grin or let her be. Very mature and grownup. Jazz eat their confrontations up like candy and wrote down on her computer like a maniac.

“If this continued, she would have enough material to make a case – and possible get famous, as she had stated it herself. When she learned that Spectra had been the halfas former therapist, she had offered her own service to the half-ghost and spend hours listening to the woman’s slave story.

“Danny’s gaze wandered back to the PDA screen and froze when he realized Plasmius profile was the next one. Tucker protested when Danny grabbed the expensive technology and turned it off.

“Hey man, what gives!? Give me back my beauty!”

“You’re embarrassing me and bore Arianna, do something else.”

“Tucker sulked, but turned on the TV instead. Danny sighed in relief. That was close. Arianna seemed to have forgot all about her other ghost savior and haven’t asked about him since Danny crashed the billboard their first day. He hoped to continuing it that way.

“The less she knew about Vlad the better. The fruitloop had kept his part of the truce until now, but that had brought false hope before. Plasmius always had a intension with the shit he put into motion and freeing a halfa, was like a deadly wave in that fine balance.

“Danny still haven’t figured him out, but didn’t have high hopes either. The man was crazy and only Clockwork would know what was ticking in that twisted mind of his.

“Danny felt old anxiety take a good grip in him. How long could he keep the two halfas from meeting? And if they did cross paths, when what? Tucker zapped between the channels and found a newscaster who spoke of the aftermath of the tsunami in Samao.

“Nightshades grinned, "it's almost like the one in the Indian Ocean. That was fun."

“Sam sat up and stared at her, “how the hell do you know about that? If you been inside the zone for ten years, you wouldn’t know nothing about it.”

“Sam seemed to think she had the halfa now, but nightshade just waved her of, “I was in the zone, not the shu. Ghost follows your human channels, just so you know. I got some peaks when the Runners forgot I was in the living room and had the TV turned on. It didn’t show me the date, but ghosts sure loves watching natural disasters and destruction from Earth.”

“Weird,” Tucker said, “and I thought the channels in the demon suite were bad.”

“Demon suit?” she asked curiously and Sam hurried to change subject, “so ghost in general uses technology?”

“I wasn’t allowed to own any of it, but I would say so. The technology you guys use is a lot more advanced though. Most ghosts I’ve seen with the same amount, has it fused as part of their bodies or are machine driven ghosts. I once got my hands on a computer, but there was no real signal.”

“Tucker gasped in horror, “wait a minute! You were forced into the ghost zone in 1999 – you’ve never own a mobile or pc!”

“She just shrugged. And that would be the beginning of a new era for the geek. He sat her down with one of his old pc and spent endless hours introducing her to modern technology.

“Jazz almost got an excitement fit just by watching them and collected material in order to write a case about a modern technology-less persons first interaction with the internet and social media.

“Before they knew it, Arianna was onto them on Facebook, Tumblr and twitter. Danny found it pretty stupid, but it turned out that she got to occupied with her new life on the internet, to steal and distract him during ghost fights, so he let them be.

“It was one of those days when they were together on the Nasty burger, that Nightshade phased into their booth and turned her human clamor on, “sup guys.”

“Danny hadn’t felt her ghost signature and swallow his fork in surprise. “Not again!”

“Danny,” Sam plead when he started rummage through his insides and phased the fork back out, “there we go,” and started eating again. Arianna giggled, “nice skills, Danny.”

“He ignored them and continued eating, and Sam turned to their newest member, “so what are you up to? _Stealing_ something?”

“Very funny, but it’s nice you mentioning removing property from another persona – I might need your help _stealing_ something back.”

“Danny, Tucker and Sam forgot about their greasy meals, “what? Have you lost something?”

“In the ghost zone – but I don’t know if it’s still there, since I lost it years ago. Your guy’s might know how I should handle this.”

“Alright, what is it?” Danny asked interested. She looked out into the distance, “my baby.”

“What!?” the teenagers yelled and made multiply heads turn their way. (Back in Wisconsin in front of his screen, Vlad spat his tea.) She gave them a confused look and Danny tried to keep low, “you lost a _child!?_ ”

“What? No. I mean my bag. My red shoulder bag.”

They all looked relieved and some of the attention left them again.

“Okay, let’s just say we go looking for it, but why risk it? What’s in it?” Sam whispered irritated, “your teddy bear? Color book? What could the younger you possible have in a bag, that’s so important?”

Arianna looked absolutely invigilated, “to your information, it contains my passport, my identity papers and purse with credit cards, my license, tarot cards and other personal things. It’s a woman’s purse, not a child’s backpack, for Crist sake – how old do you people think I am? Twenty? I’m thirty-five!”

They all fell back into the yelling, “What!?” (Vlad didn’t join them this time. He already knew from her birth certificate and was too busy cleaning the coffee table, _“sugar honey ice tea…”_ )

“Then you’re way too old for me,” Tucker said in plain shock, “I mean, I like that we both have a love for meat and fear of hospitals – but my mother is never gonna accepted me dating an older woman.”

Arianna gave him a look, “I could be your mother, kid. You guys are what? _Sixteen?_ ”

“Not that it’s not shocking enough that you're an old lady in disguise,” Sam ranted sarcastic, “but that still doesn’t explain, why should we risk our lives for your old lady purse?”

“Isn’t it obvious? There is an angry mob of Cube ghost looking for me. Even if I go home to my own country and lay low, they could find me. Everything they need in order to find my human half, is in that bag. My real name, my address, my family’s name…if I don’t get the bag back before the idea gets to a bounty hunter, I’m never going to be free. I will always have to be on the run – I want more than that in life.”

Danny guested that it made sense. If The Runners never had any interest in knowing the real name of their slave, her identity would be safe – but not for long. He still couldn’t believe she was that old.

As she sat there, she could easily pose as a tiny twenty-year-old. But he supposes it was the ghost glamor that made the young and innocent impression. Did she even know how her human half looked like anymore? Just how long had she been in those bracelets?

“Okay, so any lead on where it could be?” Tucker asked.

“It happened to fast for me to get a good look, but all I know is, that the ghost who made me lose it in the first place, was some kind of brute. Kept bragging about trophy’s and pelts. Called himself the ghost zones greatest hunter. I think he wore a metal armor.”

Danny snapped out of his thoughts and caught in on the conversation. Sam and Tucker were looking at him, “do we think about the same guy?” 

“Of course,” Tucker grinned, “Bullet!”

Both Danny and Sam gave him a look, and he laughed, “just kidding, Skulker is the only hunter of our hearts.”

Danny nodded with a groan, “time to go find our good old hunter-buddy then.”

-

Skulker had kept his distance since the anno 2008 Christmas truce and since it had only been two weeks since the halfa rescue, it was too early to risk going to looking for him in the ghost zone and risk meeting the Cubes forces – which forced them to wait and let the hunter creep up on them himself.

Danny expected the ghost to show up any day now. There annual fight was normally the first day of the month. In the meantime, Danny had gotten the guts to ask the female halfa about training, something she was more than delighted to do – on one condition.

“This is called an _ocho_ , you step normal, while I make a cross with my legs and get us back in sync again,” Arianna instructed while they danced in the lab.

Danny was sweating and his shins felt like they were made of wood, “people dance tango for fun? This is more like torture!” She just smiled and stepped backwards while he tried to keep them both in balance and follow in her steps.

It should probably had come as a surprise to them, but it really didn’t. Turns out Arianna had been a professional dancer in her spare time as human and made tango her specialty.

Danny stumbled over his own feet.

On the sideline Tucker where filming him with a snickering, “this one goes right to the internet, you?” Sam hold her own phone up, “into the collection of my private blackmail material.”

Danny gave them a scowl over Arianna’s right shoulder. They had started out with a close embrace in the dance with their torsos pressed together, but then Sam had sent them nasty glares and Arianna had made it an open dance, with a knowing smile.

Danny only had to hold her hands now, but it made keeping the balance harder and he kept stumble. She moved around like a pro, while he felt like an idiot. 

“Danny don’t look at your feet.”

“How do you expect me not to? If I don’t, I'll crush your toes!”

“As if,” she said with a challenging smile and let him go in a fluent move. Before he knew it, she had turned his hand on his back and sent him flipping over himself. She smiled down at him and walked away.

“You’re no dancer, but there is a fire in you. Let’s train.”

Danny jumped to his feet and turned ghost, “alright!” Arianna smirked and moved to him, but not as Nightshade.

“Uh, you meant training as in ghost fighting, right?”

“Pfft, I don’t need to be ghost to win in a fight with you, Danny. It’s too early for me to remove the bracelet, but I keep my ghost powers down – come at me.”

Danny blinked perplex and his two friends just shrugged from the sideline, “you're sure?”

“Just do it – you going to bite the floor, kid.”

Danny didn’t believe her, but it was her own choice to fight him as a human, so why not? He raised his fists, keeping his ghost-ray and shots back for now and just fight her fist style.

He got into a fighting stand and punched. She dodged while she kept her hands on her back and danced around him. He followed her and tried getting a hit, but she either dodged or moved out of reach.

Danny began to feel frustrated, but stayed on the floor. He didn’t need to float to get to her, did he?

That question was answer a moment later, when he tried to get a hit and she grabbed his wrist. She moved to his side and moved her hand so his hand was looked in place and dragged him down and out of balance.

He hit the floor hard and lost his breath. She locked him to the floor and placed her heel on his exposed neck, “see?”

He could see both Sam and Tucker filming him, but they both seemed to have forgotten their phones and just stared, “h-how!?”

“It’s simple. Your style is based on aggressive material arts, like kung fu and karate – I use aikido and budo based fighting styles. Yours requires great force and strength to break your enemy. Mine doesn’t need any strength, but timing and body control. You can come at me with all the force you want, but the power you sent at me, I will use against you.”

She illustrated it by lifting him to his knees and then pressing down on his arm and neck with a simple move, Danny couldn’t get up. His body was working against him. Locked in place and when he tried to move, he felt like he was breaking his own arm.

“I will teach you how to make your enemies fight themselves, but first we need to get you in shape.”

She let him go and Danny stared after her, “what do you mean ‘shape?’. I’m perfectly fit, I’m ready to learn aikido and all that!”

She giggled and shook her head, “I was talking about your human form, Danny. If you want to be stronger as a ghost, you have to get the stamina from both forms.”

Her phone started beeping and she turned around to answer it.

“Ha-ha, you're so screwed, dude!” Tucker laughed and Danny sent him a glare, “hey! I’m not that weak!”

Danny had gained more weight and muscles since his 14-year-old self – maybe not as much as the jerks at school, but still. He knew he was fit. “I’m not!”

They turned when the female halfa started to shout, “calling my family is not an option, Jazz! It’s is not a break though! I’m not some teenager who needs to jump out of the closet, _for helvede!_ ”*

She turned off the phone and looked a little embarrassed at them, “…sorry, but your sister keeps pushing things she can’t control – where were we?”

“uhh…I’m not weak?”

“Prove it,” Arianna said and pointed at the floor, “give me twenty and we start from there.”

Tucker got into a laughing fit and she turned to him, “that goes for you to; you’re part of the Phantom crew as well.”

That made him sober up instantly and Sam moved down to get in place next to Danny. She was the only one to even past teen. She filmed them as they tried to finish there’s pushups.

“To items of blackmail material on one day, that’s a new record.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **_* "For the devil!" (Danish way of saying "god dammit!")_ **


	20. I hate when I walk outside and someone randomly throws a fridge at me!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! the store that fixes my laptop was generous enough to lend me a computer while i wait - that means i'm gonna post on schedule like before  
> a huge thanks to the lovely Cait who's always a pearl and help me correct my mistakes - you're wonderful  
> hope you enjoy - comments are always appreciated
> 
> * * *

Sparring in the lab was both a great help and torture to Danny.

He had turned out to be a fast learner and hardworking student, but the lab had its problems as the place for a fighting mat. The many ghost hunting devises kept shocking or react to his presents when he got too close to them and when he got caught in the Fenton ghost trap for the third time, he lost his footing and stumbled over himself.

“Your parents really know their ghost stuff, huh?” Arianna said and sat down next to him.

“Tell me about it,” he groaned as she opened the trap and let him out. It had turned out to be un-phaseble. “When I just got my powers it was a nightmare just to be living her. Every time they got the signal of a ghost they follow it to me and I had to come up with lame excuses or run like hell.”

The memory of the ghost-gas weapons and shields turning on when he wasn’t expecting it, made him shiver, “becoming a ghost, just made puberty and high school life turn into a danger zone – how did you handle yours?”

“Me?” she asked a little stunned and put up a face of thought, “well, I didn’t really have any control over them at first. I was taken prisoner somewhere out in the zone and brought to the slave auction. I had been phasing out of my cage by accident on the way and made them aware I was different. Mrs. Runner trained me most of the time, so if I wanted to get feed, I had to make progress with my powers.”

Danny nodded. Jazz had told him something similar from her sessions with the halfa, but hearing it from her own mouth made it so much more real. If he counted right, Danny would have been six years, when she was dragged into her halfa life. It was almost crazy surrealistic to think of.

But then again, he hadn’t even been born when Vlad Masters became Vlad Plasmius.

“And then you found out that you had dark powers?”

“Yeah, that came as a little shock actually – yours are ice powers right? I guess that must have come as a surprise as well. Have you worked on it?”

Danny showed her his scythe and she inspected it with awe, “much better, Danny. The structure is much stronger now and won’t break. Amazing.”

He smiled proudly and admired his own weapon. Nightshade had pointed out the flaws and weak spots in the ice structure and helped him rebuild it to perfection. Her experience in fighting other ice-ghost had given her an understanding for what he had to improve.

For all it was worth, the thought of leaning from her wasn’t a reassuring as is should have be, knowing that his progress was due to other ice ghost’s deaths, but if he wanted to be stronger, she was his only ticket to halfa land. Her training methods made a lot more sense than Vlad’s and he would prefer her guidance any time.

He let the weapon melt, “I was actually hoping we could work on my duplicates today? I know it’s possible for me to make at least ten, but I think I can do better. And since you’re the expert in making them, I hoped you had some advice?”

She looked at him in confusion, “duplicates? Sorry, Danny, but I can’t make even a single one.”

“Ah come on – I seen you make a whole swarm of them,” he said with a grin, but didn’t get the reaction he hoped for. She tilted her head, “you mean my shades? They are not duplicates, Danny.”

“They're not?”

“No,” she said and summoned one. Danny looked at it with suspicions, “so they just part of your powers? They look like black duplicates to me.”

“They are kind of the same deal, but different. I don’t control them like you do with your multiply selves. My shades have their own free will and I don’t know what they had done or seen, till they merge back into me or tell it themselves. They could probably kill someone and I wouldn’t know a thing! But don’t worry they usual keep close to me, for some reason.”

“Comforting and creepy,” he retorted and pushed the shade away with his foot, “so you can’t make any duplicates…like at all? That’s a bummer.”

She shrugged and leaned back into the shade’s lap, looking pretty comfy, “I’m sure there’s things you can do that I can’t – that ghostly wail you mentioned, as an example.”

Danny laid back on the cold floor with a sighed, “yeah, haven’t really seen others with that power – but the truth is, I only discovered it, because of that whole time travelling thing.” He shivered by the memory. His evil older self had taught him the power by sheer accident. Not a nice thought.

“That’s it!”

Danny almost jumped of the floor and sat up in surprise, “wait – what is?”

“Dan Phantom, Danny! I don’t know what powers you are capable of – but you know – you meet your future self, you fought him. You already know what powers you will get!”

Danny thought about it. He had fought against the jerk, alright, but did that make him all-knowing about his own future powers? Possible.

_You don't get it do ya? I'm **still** here. I **still** exist. That means you still turn into me…_

“ – what powers?”

Danny snapped out of his inner creepy monolog, that sounded a little too much like his evil older self. He tried recalling what the older evil Dan had done that was new. “Uhm…I’m pretty sure he made some kind of energy wave at some point? He’s a shapeshifter, or at least he turned into me at that time. He made a chain out of ecto-energy and he phased though ghost weapons by making himself go into some Gaseous form…”

He struggled to get his memory working. He had actually tried to forget most of it. “Uhh, he had telekinesis powers of some sort and – oh yeah! He flung me into the ghost zone, with a portal he made.”

“You can create portals to the ghost zone?” she asked in amazement. “I say we work on that.”

Danny liked that. If he had that ability, he wouldn’t have to fly around with his thermos and ghost hunting would be like hundred times faster. Plus, he wouldn’t have to use the Fenton portal when he moved to college. He would be able to move in and out of the ghost zone and human world, as he pleased. He smirked as he started to imagined. He snickered at the thought of making a portal right under Plasmius unknowing boots.

“Serves that Fruitloop right.”

“Fruitloop?”

“Nothing – lets train!”

-

“I Technus 2.0, the master of all technology, now also advanced domestic appliance and soon Lord of MasterSoft explore! Will take control of the ghost-child’s territory and internet connections!” The scientist ghost laughed and assembled his goods from various houses.

Danny dogged the flying technology and turned intangible, when the broken window glass started raining down on the street. Technus body got covered in the stolen electronics and soon a teen feet tall robot-suit had taken his place.

This was probably an occurrence that happened every third month now. Just like Skulker, Technus liked to come back to Amity Park, just to mess with him and try take his territory for kicks – or for old times’ sake, Danny wasn’t sure.

The only thing that had changed was the fact that Technus has gone back to tell his schemes out load again. An Appel update had apparently had some lines of fine print in the ‘read and confirm you have understood’ confirming. Something about the product not to be used with hidden intentions and visas vasa.

“You’re gonna be the master of scraps, if you don’t step down now! – Nightshade, a little help here?”

Technus sent a fridge at him and Danny phased though it, finding a sandwich in his hand. He lounged at the ghost and used his ice scythe to slash of the electronic-suit’s right arm. The other arm came flying and Danny smacked against the wall of a building.

Nightshade looked up from her spot on the building’s roof, but turned back to the computer in her lap. Danny scowled, “I _said_ , a little help here?”

She ignored him, scrolling her computer, “one sec, this fic has updated.”

Danny turned back to the fight, when the street pylons came to life and the wires started wiping around like deadly wimps. “You can read your smut later! Help me now!”

She gave him a glare, but didn’t deny it, “ _fine_.”

A swarm of shadows appeared around her and jumped the electronic suit, like a group of cat’s sensing catnip. Technus phased out of his suit as a mist of zeros and watched as his electronics was shredded to sparking junk, “a new ghost-child allied? I don’t remember matchmaking him with a new girl?”

“Internet dating is for the weak!” she roared and shot him square in the face with a ectoblast. Technus crashed into a building and slid down to the roof. Danny and Nightshade followed him and the ghost look around for something useful. He stopped at the sight of the abandoned laptop and phased into it.

Nightshade got to him first and shook the laptop in panic, “no! My Tumblr wall!” Technus face popped into the screen with a laugh and made the pixel’s blink, Nightshade shook the computer with a scream, “get of my social media, Creep!”

“Make me!” he laughed and the screen changed to various dating sites. The profiles made themselves with a picture and name variations of Arianna, and popped up on the sites.

Nightshade stared in shock as people started mailing her, “NOOOOOOO!!! Oh…that’s actually a nice comment.”

Danny rolled his eyes and phased into the laptop. Nightshade observed with the devise in her hands, as Danny followed Technus into some game, “ _Doomed_?” she asked in confusion.

A more armored Phantom appeared on the screen and started fighting the other ghost. Nightshade sent one of her shades out for popcorn and sat down to watch.

“Interesting, can we do the same thing with books? How about movies?”

“Use the controllers!” Danny yelled and she searched the keyboard, “eh, Danny I’m not a gamer – what do I do?”

Danny phased back out of the laptop, but let a duplicate stay on the interface, “let me!” He said and him and his duplicate started working together as a team. Nightshade watched over his shoulder, offered him popcorn, “hey Danny, use your ice-power. Machine and technology cored ghosts are sensitive to water in their system.”

Technus attacked and got a hit on Danny’s duplicate. It disappeared and Technus took back the screen. Danny was ready to just smash the devise and be done with it, when Technus started to work.

A little satellite unfolded from the side of the laptop and started rotating. Danny sent the screen a suspicious look, “what’s that? A substitute for a white flag?”

“Try backup signal, ghost-child!”

Danny and Nightshade shared a glance, “backup as in restart or backup as in – ?”

“Whelp!” Skulker arrived with smoking jetpack engines and flashed a wide metallic grin, “and Kitten, I see – two matching pelts in one place at last.”

Nightshade pointed at him, “oh my god, Danny! It’s the brute heavy-metal hunter ghost that took my bag!”

“My name is Skulker, Ghost-woman!” he sneered and fired his missiles. Danny dragged Nightshade down though the building and they phased back out on the street. They looked up to find the other ghost had followed them, “you take Technus and I take Skulker?”

She let her shads out, “if you mean that you take that hunter freak and I take the hipster scientist, I’m in.”

They spilt up and drew their opponents in each direction. Skulker seemed more than content that Danny had chosen him for the fight and fired his missiles with a big grin. Danny dodged as usual and tried getting the ghost-following missiles to hit Technus.

Technus didn’t see them coming – he was to occupied trying to phase from electronic objet to objet, as Nightshades shadows followed and shattered them. The car he had taking refuge in exploded and scraps rained down on them. A fist of iron hit Danny square in the head and he hit the street pavement.

Skulker came crushing down to finish Danny, who phased though the concrete. He returned to the street in time to see Nightshade attacking Skulker and shouting, “don’t you touch him!”

Skulker dodged her glowing fist and tried getting out of her reach. Almost running from her. Danny didn’t understand a thing. Normally the hunter would take up the challenge and just breaking his way through his opponent's attacks, with sheer muscular strength. He never dodged or turned away for a fight, unless…

Danny joined Nightshade and drew the hunter back, “I’m okay – just concentrate on Technus!”

She nodded and returned to her shades. Danny turned to the hunter, “alright, spit it Skulker – what’s Plasmius up to? What does he want from Nightshade!?”

“I have my orders, Whelp,” he sneered and shot a net, “I can’t touch the female, but your pelt is still up for the hunt!”

He raised his machine arm, but a beeping noise made all his weapons disappear back into the armor. Skulker look down at his arm screen.

“Take a break in the library to reflect on purpleback gorillas?” He growled and turned to the science ghost, “Nicholai! You said you fixed it!”

Technus tried getting out of the female halfas reach, by jumping from lamppost to lamppost, making the shades hiss in pain due to the light and draw back, “just take something else if you not satisfied with my service!”

Skulker ripped the old PDA out of his system and took off for a quick search. Danny took advantage of the break and joined Nightshade. With her shadows out of the game, she had turned back to old school ectoblasts. She sent a black energy ball at the ghost and let Danny up on her side, “did you get him with the thermos?”

“Not jet, but don’t worry, he’ll come back – thanks for standing up for me by the way.”

“You’re welcome,” she said and watched him catch Technus with the thermos, “one out, another to go.”

“Not so fast, Whelp.”

Skulker had returned and now with a laptop in the old PDA’s place.

“Hey that’s mine!” She cried and the hunter smirked.

“If I can’t hunt you, this valued possession of yours will have to do,” he said and activated it. If a PDA – controlled by schedule or not – could make him stronger, Danny didn’t wanna know what a modern laptop could do to the ghost system.

Skulker laughed with a triumphing expression, before he suddenly froze and his cheeks turned pink, “Urg! Its smut infected!”

Nightshade shrugged with a guilty grin and Danny deadpanned. Over them, Skulker had ripped the devise of his body and pulled out a gun manually, “you may be a crafty pray I can’t hunt – but I can still take your substitute child, Ghost-woman!”

Danny blinked, surprised by that statement, but Nightshade didn’t hesitate one second and jumped the hunter, “over my dead human body!”

Danny forgot all about fighting and just watched them on autopilot. What did Skulker mean by that? Her substitute child? Did ghosts see him as the female halfa’s son? Did _people?_ As he watched Nightshade now, she kind of looked like an angry mother, whose offspring was in danger.

She had done that for a while lately, actually.

When he fought ghost and they got close enough to hit or strike him, she was there as a personal body guard – or that’s what he had told himself apparently. Did she see him as a son? Danny didn’t know.

Until now she had molded into the group like some extra friend or an older sister, just less noise and less grownup than Jazz.

Danny’s sister always made a number out of showing just how grownup, sophisticated and smarter she was than anybody else, making it hard to stand beside her.

He knew Arianna was a _real_ grownup and not just pretending like Jazz, but the older woman didn’t show of, unless you asked her to and when she talked to him it as if they were equal.

But did she want him as more? Danny already had a mother. Maybe Maddie didn’t give off the image of a perfect mother vibe, with her ghost hunting, bad cooking skills and craziness, but she had a heart like one and to Danny she was perfect…but, now that he thought about it.

Arianna had taking some sort of liking to him from the start, that didn’t match an older sister, friend or girlfriend. She made all his meals, took care of him and taught him things no one else could. She completed a missing hole in his life, that his mother should have filled. But what did that make her then?

His ghost mother? His _halfa mother?_

Danny didn’t know. He opened the thermos in time to suck Skulker into it and closed it, just as Nightshade landed in front of him. She smiled bright, but lost some of the cheeriness, “Danny? What’s wrong?”

_Do you see me as a son?_

“Nothing, let’s get back to the house.”


	21. Who's That Pokémon? It’s a Skulker! Yay!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> alright - i broke the laptop the store lent me - but turns out i was an error on the computer and not me that was to blame, so i got another one - yeah!  
> if my luck keeps up i will be able to keep posting on scheduled - wish me luck!  
> hope you enjoy - comments are always welcome
> 
> * * *

The sound of tapping against glass, reached Danny’s ears and he turned to the others in the lab. Arianna was tapping the little glass container with a maniac smile, accompanied by small outbursts of giggling, while the others were watching her.

Inside the container, Skulker’s true ghost form was infuriated and tried to keep the sound out with his little green hands pressed tight against his ears. The scraps of his helmet was in the container with him and he tried hiding inside it.

“I think you tortured him enough now, it’s not healthy for you,” Jazz commented dryly from her chair, but Arianna ignored her and kept tapping, “if you won’t let me torture him for real, the lest you can do is letting me bug him a little.”

“What’s the deal,” Sam groaned and check her phone. It was 04:00 in the morning. They had gathered soon after Danny and Arianna had been out the most of the night tracking down Skulker and ran into Technus.

“So what? He took your bag years ago, big deal. Do you know what he did to Danny countless times?”

“It’s not about my bag,” she simmered, her face twisting into a dark scowl, “I spend five years in the ghost zone before I discovered the human principle – the power of moving freely as a ghost in human form. It happened right after a training session, leaving me beat up in my cell. I woke up after I had fallen through the floor and phased out of the Cubes ground facilities. I escaped and was captures, because _he!_ ” she tapped the glass violent, “was cowardly enough to just shoot _me!_ ” the glass shook and Skulker protested from the safe inside the helmet, “with a tranquillizer gun, instead of _fighting me in the open!”_

Danny and the others was surprised by her outburst of anger. Something they didn’t saw that often. She seemed to realize the attention she had drawn to herself and returned to her close demure personality, “I mean…when I woke up again, I was back in the cell and my human half locked away with power-controlling bracelets. I was bitter. He owes me more than my bag.”

“Alright…” Danny reconciled between them and got a glare from Sam, “but if we want to find the bag, we should start asking him questions and not giving him hearing damage. Just saying.”

Arianna sighed and moved away from Skulker. Danny step up to the container, “hey Skulker, we have some question for you, pall.”

“What do you want, Whelp? Want to know where I’m gonna hang your pelt in my lair?”

Danny gave Arianna a look and she tapped aggressive on the glass.

“Okay! Okay! What!?”

“You know who she is, so let’s start from the beginning. You caught her five years ago and took something from her. Remember? A red shoulder bag?” he asked and Tucker came up to him, “ringing any bells?”

The little green ghost crossed his arms in rejection, “all trophies belong to its hunter, Whelp. Its legally mine and belongs to Skulker.”

His words were met with an infuriating tapping from his former prey and her teeth where showing now, “you give it back you little piece of goo! No man can possess a woman’s bag! I’m not your prey!”

Jazz grab her shoulders. Afraid she might end up breaking the glass or worse, kill Skulker, “how about we do this a little more diplomatic, okay? We want something from him and we give him something in return – that way you still keep a trophy, Skulker.”

Danny turned his sister around, “Jazz, what are you doing?”

She gave him a calming smile, “I read about hunter culture and their psychologic possession of hunts, Danny. If Skulker is anything like that, he won’t ask for something more valuable than the bag, in order to keep a balance of his own hunter honor. Trust me.”

They turned back to the other and the container, where Skulker had heard everything from there poorly subdued conversation and actually seemed to consider Jazz’s offer.

He suddenly nodded in grave manner “the blood youngling of my prey seems to amuse me. Fine, Skulker will allow his halfa trophy to be exchange for an equal item.”

Arianna gave him a glare, “you already taken my laptop, remember? What more could your possible want from me?”

Skulker gave her a calculating look, “I’m not allowed to hunt you, so you’re not my prey – but your handwritten signature is. My girlfriend Ember still wants your autograph, ghost-woman!”

“Wait – Ember McLain is your _girlfriend!?”_

“Why is everyone so surprised!” he roared in a squeaky voice. Arianna just stared at him in disbelieve, “no way.” The green bulb jumped up and down, “Skulker will gets his pelt and autograph!"

“She’ll get it when I get my laptop!” she grinned and started to knock on the glass surface.

Skulker hid in his helmet, “Ha! You can do better than that, Kitten.”

“So can ember McLain.”

Danny and the others just gasped and Skulker stared at her with a hurt expression, “now that’s just mean.”

“Sorry,” she winced, realizing she’d gone to far. She signed the piece of paper Jazz gave her, wrote her autograph with velvet letters and finished with a heart over the ‘I’.

“Here you go – now tell me what you’ve done to my bag.” Skulker took the paper that was phased into his prison and stored it safely into his broken helmet, before returning, “I don’t know.”

“What do you mean, you don’t know?” Danny replied irritated. Skulker crossed his little arms, “it was stolen from me and disappeared into the ghost zone. I tried tracking it down, but lost it.”

Danny assembled them all to an intern meeting and they formed a close group, “right, that bag could be anywhere now. That was five years ago – how are we gonna find it now?”

Unknown to the group, Skulker head a signal from inside his helmet and moved to the ear piece. He listens in, “what?”

_“The bag is of great value to her. I want you to offer your service in finding it and take some time off to track it down, Skulker.”_

Skulker listened to Plasmius orders, but didn’t really understand his employer, “you want me to bring it back to you?”

_“Oh, no. When you’ve found it, inform me and bring it back to her. You will be rewarded depending on the bags condition and the difficulties you may have encounter in the search. That’s all.”_

Skulker stayed in the helmet, did his mental preparations for an upcoming hunt and considered the outcomes. Skulker lived for the hunt. He knew he had been a hunter in his human life, but didn’t really remember more than that and the eternal longing for the ultimate prey.

It was all just a big blur, but the wish of becoming the greatest hunter and fulfil his destiny, was still so sharp in his mind, that he couldn’t do anything else than follow it blindly. This hunt would require everything of him, time, patientce and his tracking skills in a search for a long lost item in the eternal sphere of the zone.

It was defiantly a challenge and Skulker loved a challenge. The reward would be to his pleasing. Plasmius never disappointed. Skulker turned to the glass.

“Humans and prey! I have a request!”

Danny and the others turned back to the glass container, with confusion, “what request?”

“I, Skulker, the ghost zones greatest hunter, will do my end of the bargain and bring back the bag myself.”

Danny shared a look with the others. It was a generously offer and unexpected. Jazz smiled, clearly thinking her thesis about Skulker’s hunter honor where right.

It was Arianna who sealed the deal, “alright, but you will take one of my shades with you.”

-

Jasmine Fenton, better known as Jazz between friends and family, had found herself in an old well known, but worrisome situation. She had found her little brother in the kitchen, clearly bugged with some kind of troubled track of thoughts and hung by the table.

Tucker and Sam had long since went home and Arianna was busy in the kitchen preparing the dinner. Danny had shortly before started his homework at the table, after the house inhabitant’s had gone their separate ways. But it was obvious that it wasn’t geometry that troubled Danny right now.

As he sat by the table with hanging posture and blue lidded eyes, dripping with depression, he was the perfect picture of his younger fourteen-year-old self, at the time when he had no control over its powers or hormones.

She had observed him at that time, but haven’t really stopped up to start caring or taken the time to really talk to him, before the Spectra affair.

Her previously calculated relationship with her brother and superior cold behavior, often made her feel ashamed of herself. She had been stupid enough to think she was right in treating him as a patient and not as an equal sibling.

It was only after the knowledge of his secret identity as the ghost Phantom, that she had slowed down and started to form a more genuinely relationship with him and put her terms and theories on the shelf.

By the sight of her little brother, she felt the urge to help him. He was her brother and she was worried about him. Really.

It was easy regarding others through a periscope of psychological dissertations, but even she knew now, that more was needed to understand another human being. Danny had gotten better with the control of his powers and confidence and it delighted her.

He seemed happier, freer. Not so cowed and fearful as before.

But here he was again. Discouraged and suppressed by problems he could or wouldn’t speak out aloud. She put a hand on his shoulder, “Danny? You’re alright?”

Of course he put it off as nothing, “I’m fine Jazz, just…studying and thinking.” But she knew better.

“Danny, you know you can talk to me about anything, right?”

He looked down at the table and meaningless mathematic problems. Obviously having other problems on his mind and calculating whenever he should tell her.

“Danny, it’s clear that something is troubling you, please, talk to me.”

He hesitated, but seemed to decide when ever to lie or open up, “I feel guilty.”

She brightened up now that she had broken though his walls and knew she had his trust, “about what?”

“I…it’s stupid,” he replied unsure and started to close in on himself.

“Nothing is stupid, if its troubles you, Danny. You can tell me.” _Please don’t shut me out._

“I feel guilty…because of mom.”

She hadn’t expecting that and sat down next to him. Had a feeling this could take some time and comfort, “why? You’ve done something you think she wouldn’t approve of?”

“It’s not that I have done…it’s more a _thing_ that’s started to happen and I don’t know what to think of it, Jazz,” he said depressed and sighed deeply, “I wasn’t really aware of it until now and I don’t know what to do about it…Jazz…what do you think about Arianna?”

She leaned back and made sure her long red hair didn’t get stuck on the chair, “I think she an interesting person. She had major problems and need to take responsibility of her own feelings, but she tries in her own ways and I can respect that.” She just wished the damn woman would do as she said and call her family.

The more she stalled, the worse she would get. Not to mention Jazz’s treatment! How where they gonna get to the next step in her psychic healing process, if Arianna wouldn’t even follow the steps!?

Danny nodded slowly, seemed to accept her answer, “I like her too, but I don’t know if it’s because moms absent or I’m just going crazy, but…I kind of like…see her as a motherly figure…I think.”

Danny looked as if he expected her to flip out on him and accuse him of replacing their mother, but she didn’t.

“That very understandable, Danny.”

“Like how!? We’re not in family, she looks like a teenager and I’m lying to her constantly about Vlad! How’s that understandable? I’m not even sure I want a second mom!”

Jazz shook her head patronizing.

“Well, yeah, she does look young and she’s a stranger, but I think your image of her as a mother figure, is very logical, little brother. She cooks for you, she trains you and she fills a role that resembles a mother and she protects you in battle like a mother would. Have you talked to her about it?”

He shook his head and they both listened to the sound of the sizzling pans and faint humming of a pop song from the radio. Danny placed his head on his palms, “I don’t wanna make it weird, ya know. What if she gets angry or something? What if she finds out that I actually don’t know if I want to have her as a second mother and gets all offended and stuff? It’s so weird. How can you have two mothers that doesn’t even know each other?”

She thought about it, “I think the thing you’re getting at, is the same kind of feeling kids that get grownup friends, has. You know, like a family with a close uncle or aunt, or family friends that they just name that way. Those are grownup figures, that you have the same relationship with as your own parents, but deep down know isn’t your parents. Some kids can have two mothers or fathers, due to divorced families and gain second parents in their parent’s new marriages. I know a lot of people, who do stuff with their uncle and aunts, adult friends or stepparents, that they don’t do with their own parents and can feel close and relate to – and it's _okay._ ”

Danny seamed to brighten up, “really?”

“Sure. Arianna doesn’t have to replace mom in your life, Danny. But you can let her in as an aunt, that you fell close to and treat as a motherly figure. She seems to like you like a little brother or son to, so I don’t think you would offend her by showing her the same kind of affection and let her take care of you. I actually think’s it would be good for you to have another half-ghost or halfa to help you, where mom and dad can’t.”

His depressed poise and confused expression faded like mist and her Danny and beloved little brother returned from the surface, “thanks Jazz.”

She hugged him and watched as he returned to his homework, now without any problems or distractions. She was glade she had taken the time to go looking for Arianna and stumbles across her brother instead.

And speaking of Arianna…

She found the female in the kitchen as expected and sniffed, “smells god.”

The female smiled and returned to her cooking, “hey Jazz, want to taste one of these chicken nuggets I’m making?”

She accepted one and watched as the other fried small breaded pieces of chicken breast in hot oil. She had noted before that the female seemed get calm and cozy while making manual work, like cooking or cleaning.

Obvious a state she indulged in, in order to escape her mental problems and denial of inner instabilities. Obviously.

All a product of long term posttraumatic stress, that she trapped behind the false self-control and friendliness. Jazz couldn’t wait till she’d found the right way to peel down the woman’s inner defenses and get her to talk about her emotions.

She would give it three months or so.

She liked to press the other into a session right now, but there was more important matter, than the woman’s inner turmoil’s. Danny’s troubles would have to do for now.

“Arianna, I’ve never asked you, but…what do you think about my brother?”

Arianna turned around with an open face, “Danny? I think he is a sweet kid. He’s got a lot of potential and making great progress with his training. I like him. Not many would have given someone like me a chance. He’s so cute.”

Jazz suspected those kind of words and nodded satisfied. She was right as always of course, “well, he likes you to, you know,” Jazz started allegedly, “like a close friend or an _aunt._ ”

The female halfa just smiled happily. Clearly not offended by the label, “ _awww_ , really? I was afraid he didn’t want me to be in his life like that. I really want to be there for him. Helping him, you know. I kind of like sees him as my own to.”

That peaked her interested, “yeah, but Danny’s also pretty close to our mother, you know. I don’t want you to make the wrong expression and try to surpass her.”

“Of course not, a mother can’t be replaced, Jazz. I’m just glad I can be there for Danny.”

Jazz breathed in relief. She had been a fried she might had been too hastily, but it seemed to have worked out by itself. “That’s good, thanks for the talk, by the way.”

Arianna smiled as Jazz left the kitchen and let the smile fell as soon as the girl had left her sight. She returned to her cooking and felt how her thoughts naturally wandered to the subject that was her own mother.

Mrs. Vølver had left her dad and family when the female halfa had been nothing more than fifteen. Young enough to be heartbroken, old enough to see things clearly. Her mother had betrayed them and turned her back on them. Mrs. Vølver had made her choice.

So why shouldn’t she return the favor?

Her father had never married again, but had at different point’s gained other female friends. Arianna had taken a liking to most of them and learn what these fine women had to offer her in life.

When she moved out of her father’s home and meet older women outside of her father’s relationships, she had continued to search for the mother figure she’d missed in her childhood and found several fitting role-models.

She had found the perfect woman; the day she had meet her professor in Paranormal studies. The woman had been everything Arianna could ever have wished in a mother. She had been caring, loving, full of wisdom and patient, but stern in her teaching. 

Arianna had followed her to a study opportunity in USA and had the time of her life...and lost half her humanity, but all great experince had a downside, she supposed and since the loss has gained her powers beyond her imagination, it had been a pretty rad trip

All these lessons in life had learned her one great essential lesson.

Family wasn’t something you were born into. It was something you made yourself. She knew Danny would one day learn the same lesson and return to her with no other morther in his heart than her. It was just a matter of time…

She bit into the sweet crusty surface of the nugget and smiled in content. They were perfect.


	22. That I'm a vegetarian and I ain't fucking scared of (her)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sup guys  
> the week have been pretty busy, but i think I made a decent chapter  
> hope you enjoy - comments are always appreciated
> 
> * * *

Danny Fenton had slowly found his new existence to be quite pleasing and accepted his new life with a calm and cozy sigh.

He was lying in the living room on the couch, with his two best friends next to him. They were watching some goofy cartoon on the flat screen and enjoying the peace and quiet weekend. In the last three weeks, Danny had eaten better and slept better than he had done in a long time.

He didn’t have to abandon his studies, when a ghost activated his ghost sense and didn’t have to think about making his chores or taken care of something as trivial as housekeeping.

The portal had been mostly silent, after he’d sealed it and the biggest ghost attack had been the one with Technus and Skulker, which had turned out to be a huge success and progress in the matter.

Now that Skulker and the shade Arianna had sent with him was out searching for her bag and ID papers, a lot of weight had been lifted from their shoulders and made them free to just lay back and relaxed, while they waited for them to return.

His training was going splendid and he improved fast as lightning.

He even got spare time now and could hang out with his friends like a normal careless teenager should. If they weren’t downtown, they hang out at Fenton Works, where they could be in complete peace from ghosts and parents and even be offered snacks every twenty minute.

The careless life was a life Danny enjoyed to the fullest. No lies, no responsibility and no ghost hunting devises creeping down his shirt every time he turned his back. Life was for once perfect. Well, as perfect as a half-ghost existence and late teen puberty experience could be, that is.

The figure of this newfound existents returned to the living room with warm muffins and even Sam had no objections, since the woman had caught up on the teens ultra-recycle vegetarian diet and made cakes without any animal based products in them.

But that didn’t stop Sam from examine the pastry, after Arianna left the living room for a minute.

“Ah, come on, Sam. You still think she gonna poison you?”

“I don’t trust her, Tucker. She keeps getting those little shiver attacks all the time, as if she’s freezing. And it’s not even cold!”

“I think this is great,” Danny sighed in his cozy position and let the couch devour him, “and there’s nothing that can ruining it.”

Danny would soon come to reconsider that statement, as Jazz entered the room and ended her conversation on the phone, “alright guys, mom and dad have been released from the hospital. They’re coming home tonight and they have plans of fumigating the house.”

Danny almost fell of the couch, “what, as in right now!? And fumigate? For _what?_ Cockroaches? My peace and quiet!?”

Jazz rolled her eyes, “ _ghost fumigation_ , Danny. They want to clean it for ghosts and evil energy or something. That means that we have to leave the house for the rest of the weekend.”

“Alright,” Tucker said carelessly and turned to Danny, “we can crash my place. I have place for two halfas.”

“No, no, no, no!” Jazz interrupted, “Arianna can’t spend the whole weekend as some invisible servant who’s only purpose is to serve the two of you.”

They tried to deny that (right) accusation, but she ignored them, “I can’t take her in, ‘cause I’m going back to campus to take my exams this week and my apartment is to small and too far away from these protecting ghost shields for her to be safe. She could get caught by ghosts or worse, get unstable in a small place! This is the second time she getting moved since her imprisonment and it needs to be a stable environment, where she can relax and not struggle to stay out of others sight or work. She will have to stay with Sam.”

“WHAT!?” Sam looked flabbergast and forgot all about her pastry inspection, “not gonna happen!”

“It’s only for the weekend, Sam,” Jazz replied with what she thought was a stern voice, “I’m sure you survive. You are the only one who can take her in.”

“I don’t care! She can stay here for all I care and gets gassed or whatever fumigation involves! I’m not taking her in!”

Danny and Tucker shared a look and she turned to them furiously, “I’m not gonna let your creepy ass halfa into my home! I’m not gonna sleep next to that! I’m not!”

-

Fifty minutes later she was driving her car with the curious female halfa seated next to her. Danny and his big icy blue poppy eye, darn it! She gazed to the unaware passenger out of the corner of her eye and shuddered.

Even if this wasn’t an evil old hag in disguise, that thing was too pink and girly to fit into Sam’s dark cave.

She would probably pollute it with flowers and kittens. Make the wallpaper and furniture all mushy with pastel makeup and little bright accessories. Ugh. Now it was Sam turn to shiver for no god reason. She turned her radio on just to intimidate the woman.

Sam’s playlist was a mix of goth poetry and songs, her mother oh so jolly had called, “rape and violence themed.”

She smirked and waited for the other female to either asking her to turn it off and start the fight, or better jet, bow down to Sam as a weaker opponent.

Unfortunately, none of that happened, instead the woman started to drum with her small fingers and even hummed along when Scissors Sisters started singing “ _I can’t decide_ ”.

Sam almost facepalmed. Darn it. The halfa was a complete psychopath, what did she expect? Of course she would listen and take a liking to songs about murdering and screwing people over.

Get a grip, Manson!

Sam parked a little harder than necessary and let Arianna carry her own things. Mr. and Mrs. Manson, as her parents liked to be pronounced (Sam called them Jeremy and Pam, to her mother’s great distaste), weren’t home due to some stupid golf event and she had the house to herself and of course grandma.

She checked that no one was around and waved to the halfa, “it’s clear, come on.”

Sam watched the other as she entered the house. The collision that was bound to happen, haven’t showed any signs of escalation yet, but Sam guessed it was only a matter of time. Arianna knew that Sam didn’t like her and even that was an understatement.

“Is that toaster glowing and hovering?” Arianna asked in confusion and watched the vibrating machine as they passed the kitchen. Sam closed the carbine with a slam, “It’s from Denmark – just like you, so it’s really shouldn’t come as a surprise for me, that its acting abnormal and freakish. But anyway, welcome to my home or whatever.”

She didn’t stop so make sure the halfa followed her to her room and didn’t wait for her to catch up either. Behind her, her guest studied the surroundings.

“I didn’t realize you were wealthy, Sam. How come you hide it?” she asked and made a crocked her head with a smock smile, “afraid people only like you for your money?”

The goth didn’t like the unsaid themes in that line. It was clear Nightshade would be a lot more freely speaking, now that the others weren’t around.

“Something like that, I don’t need fake friends and begging people in my life. I only hang out with _real_ types like Danny and Tucker, and apparently you to – but don’t get used to it, freak. You just staying her for a weekend. I usual don’t let lunatics into my home.”

“Understandable, but your welcome in my apartment anytime, Sam.”

Sam rolled her eyes and took the last staircase, “newsflash for Nightshade – you don’t have an apartment – you’re a freeloader.”

The goth entered her dark cave of a bedroom and inhaled on last time, before the flower-girl was gonna pollute the atmosphere. She would have to dry-clean this place after this weekend. Maybe fumigation wasn’t as dumb an idea after all.

Arianna ignored her tone and placed her stuff in a corner.

“Well, I used to have on back in Denmark, but you probably right. My old one is probably gone by now and if I’m lucky all my stuff hasn’t been sold or buried along with my empty coffin.”

Sam felt a short sting of guilt, but remembered who she was talking to and found an old folding bed in her closet.

“There, I go get a pillow and some bedsheets. If you see and old lady in a mini mobility scooter, just tell her you one of my classmates – and don’t touch or ruined _anything_ , while I’m gone.”

She gave the halfa the ‘I’m watching you’ sign and slammed the door. She got quite the scare, when she turned around and ran right into her own grandma.

The old woman smiled knowing, “who’s your pink friend, bubeleh?”

“Just a classmate,” Sam replied as if it was nothing and placed herself conveniently in front of the door, “we have a school project, so she’s staying for the weekend to get it finish on time.”

“She’s not the type you usually hang around with. And I may just be an old dement woman, but I say you don’t like this one very much.”

Sam didn’t know how to answer that. Her grandma Ida always seemed to know what was going on. It was both weird and comforting to have the woman around.

“She’s…not really my cup of tea, no.”

“I thought so, I keep an eye on her for you – you two do your stuff, while I go for the bowling alley.”

Sam waved after her and continued her hunt for bed equipment. She found Arianna inside her room five minutes later, reading the spine of the books on the shelves.

“Snooping around, huh?”

“Sorry, it’s a habit I have, when I enter another person’s home. You can tell a lot from a person, just by study their book collections.”

Sam crossed her arms. She was pretty sure the other had searched her room, while she was away and now was trying to buying herself time to come up with an excuse. Sam knew how to drag the carpet under that kind of attempt, “oh really – then what can you tell about me?”

“Well, just like me, you seem to like the classic and modern horror genre, sci-fi movies, fantasy books that doesn’t have the plot centered around a love triangle – and you like Japanese anime and manga. That and you have a tasteful collection of old vinyl punk-rock records from the 70s and 80s.”

That was pretty spot on, but Sam wasn’t convinced. She claimed to dig Sam’s preferences to? Not likely. This woman was clearly into clingy romance fiction and Shakespeare.

She would probably be that kind of person to join Pamela Manson’s Tuesday book-club and have tea with all the other flower-printed clad women, that talked like snobs and wearing cloves to avoid dust.

Back at the bookshelves, the female had found a DVD, “hey! You have the fusion movie, _Trinity of Doom_!? I love that chick flick! I’ve seen all the separate movies of Femalien, Terminatra and Nightmerica, but never this one. Can we watch it, pretty please?”

Sam couldn’t believe it. It had to be a joke and a cruel one to, “ha-ha, very funny. I’m sure we can find _Letters to Juliet_ or _Mean Girls_ or something else that you really want to watch.”

“Are you kidding me? If I should watch women – or monster women in this case – fight each other, I’ll chose the one where they have more than just manicures nails to shed each other with.”

Sam was still confused, but lead the way down to the home cinema, where they parked to watch the movie and others like it. Sam didn’t really watch any of it, just observing the other female instead and tried to figure this mystery out.

Nightshade…or Arianna, was clearly enjoying herself and even laughed as the innocent humans where hunted down in horrible ways, before being tortured to death.

Sam had known a lot of girls who liked this kind of dark themed culture, but they had all either been from her poetry club or just pretended they did. Some girls had known she was loaded in preschool and pretended to be Sam’s friends, so they could misuse her.

Sam had got enough of it when she and her family moved to Amity Park and giving herself a total makeover before she stepped into the halls of Casper High. She promised herself never to dress up for her mother or others sake again and just be who she was.

Of course, being honest to the world and show of her love for the occult and dark, wasn’t the best start of eight grade and since no one knew she was loaded, she became an outcast almost immediately.

Her mother had tried to get her back inside those frilly pink Sunday dresses, but Sam had stood true to herself and refused to please her or everyone else.

Sam liked being a goth, and if the rest of the world had a problem with that, then that couldn’t be her problem.

Sam had made connections with some of the other few goths in school, but since she didn’t really like being depressed on purpose or cut herself for attention, Sam had been singled out again and found herself isolated.

It was hard going from having a lot of girlfriends in preschool and find yourself alone, and surrounded by other girls, who seemed to live in another universe than you.

It wasn’t that Sam couldn’t be friends with other girly individualities, but you could only spend that much time, with an airheaded cheerleader who thought books only purpose was to lay on your head and make you walk more straight, before you turned nuts.

Sam knew she was different and weird in the greater perspective, but it still hurt to be pointed out like that and made a target of bullying by the other girls. That, and her parents constant nagging, had made her closed up and even harsh at times.

But if no one else would stand up for you, you had to do it yourself.

It had got better after she met Tucker and Danny. They had been and still were outcast, but seemed proud of it to an extent like her, in a way. Sam had found great friends in both on them and it had made it okay for her that she couldn’t hold on to a single female friend.

In the seat next to her, Arianna cheered shamelessly as the stereotype football jerk got his arm torn off while his bimbo blond cheerleader girlfriend was watching in horror. Sam sighed.

Maybe she wasn’t so bad after all?

The halfa immediately turned invisible, as two pair of shoes stepped into the room, “oh, _Sammikins!_ ”

Sam cringed at the pet-name, not only because it was stupid, but because Arianna now knew about it. “What? Weren’t you two supposed to be at some lame golf event or something? I’m busy!”

Her mother gave her a stern look, but it was one of her better days, so she ignored her draughts antics, “Ida told us you had a little friend over? A _female_ friend.”

Sam could hear all the hoped and dreams poorly hidden in that question. Her mother had hoped she would grow out of the boys group and actually find some female company for a change, but had been disappointed as the years went by. Sam had kept her two friends close and never dragged any other people at home.

“She’s taking a shower, do you mind?”

Her father was clueless as ever, “of course not, honey. Well see you and your friend at dinner!” before he led his wife back upstairs. Arianna turned visible again and followed them with her hazel eyes, “Oh! Now I get it. You don’t hate me because I’m close to Danny – you hate me because I’m close to Danny _and_ resembles your mom. Hah!”

Sam gave her a glare. She remembered why she had loaded the other again.

-

“So your people think you’re dead?”

Sam knew it wasn’t the most sensitive thing to ask, but considered she didn’t’ really care; it was an icebreaker as good as any. Arianna seemed to know that and took her question in a calm manner. Sam applied the black bob-wig on the halfa’s braided head and made room on the table for her makeup.

If Arianna were to pose in front of her parents as a friend and fellow classmate, they would get suspicious if they met a frilly girl resembling a grown woman. Arianna didn’t wanna let people see her pretend human form anyway and risk getting recognized in case she chose to go home and reveal herself.

If her family found out she had been alive and hiding in some small town in USA, she was pretty sure it would hurt them badly. Better to hide for now and play some goth friend of Sam until then. Without her pink outfit and stylish hairstyle, she was almost a whole other person to behold.

“I don’t know,” Arianna said uninterested and picked up a black lipstick, “but isn’t there some rule about declaring a person dead, if they haven’t been found in a decade? It’s probably for the best, can’t really go home anyway.”

“Why not?” Sam asked and rummaged through her closet to get something in the woman’s size. They seemed to have the same body type, except Arianna was lacking a little in Sam’s height.

“I know parents can be judgmental and all that, and I can’t believe I say this but…if your parents love you, I’m sure they would want you to tell them you’re alive and tell them the truth.”

Arianna turned around with wide eyes, “are you kidding me? My father despises all that is paranormal and supernatural! He has always been against me studying and dragging occult books home from the library. If I tell him the truth, he will hate my very existents – and worse, if I keep it as a secret, he will still know something is wrong whit me, because of _this!_ ”

A pink ring ran down her arm and Sam stepped back as the human hand under the glamor, turned out to be thin and a darkly gray color. One of the dead black nails fell to the floor, before the ghost form took over again.

“What!? But I thought your human side would had healed just a little by now!”

“Apparently it’s driving the slow run. I can’t go home like this. I have to stay and heal…something.”

She turned around and buried her face in her hands. Sam walked over to her and placed her hand on the woman’s shoulder. She may despise her for all the shit she had done, but Sam knew better than anyone else what a nightmare it was to fight with both life and parents.

“Hey. I’m sure it’s just a matter of time before your healing powers kicks in for good. You be fine in no time and flying straight home for a happy reunion with rainbow cakes and unicorn muffins. All that shit. ”

Arianna looked up, gave her a slight smile and stood with a sigh, “you’re right. What outfits do you have for this new look of mine? Oh sister of darkness.”

Sam grinned and showed her the extremely short leather skirt and blue top with strings across the chest. Arianna laughed and put in over her fishnet tights and knee-high boots.

“Damn, Manson. If I didn’t know better, I say you want to offend your parents and make a scene.”

“What? I don’t know what you're talking about, Lulu.”

The two goths laughed and Sam’s phone buzzed. Tucker and Danny turned up on the screen and was clearly in the middle of a lan-party with all the high calorie junk food and geeky videogames that such an activity required.

 _“Hey Sam, how’s operation **Girls Night** going?_ ” Danny asked and Tucker pressed his way into the screen, “ _you haven’t been fighting have you?”_

“Nah,” Sam said and turned the phone to allow the guys to get a look for themselves, “I say we’re bonding pretty good, so far.”

Arianna stopped playing with her new skirt and waved to the camera, “Hey, guys! Look! I’m outliving the edgy teenage life I never had the courage to fulfil! I’m going all black and scandalous.”

Tucker spit his mountain dew and Danny look as if he had seen a ghost, “ _what the heck! Please tell me that’s a wig.”_

 _“No! Our perfect housewife and private caretaker!”_ Tucker cried in despair, _“Sam how could you!?_ ”

“Sorry, guys – but black is the new flower-print,” she smirked and disconnected.

The Manson family awaited them at the table, where Pam was serving her home cocked stew. She took one look at Sam’s companion and seemed to find herself in a deep dilemma.

On one hand, she had dreamed about the day her daughter would abandon her rebel tendencies and turn to other female companions again and gain some girly influence. But on the other hand…this girl was wearing fishnet tights.

Her right eye ticked, “oh, you must be Samantha’s little friend, I’m Mrs. Manson.”

Sam watched as Arianna greeted in polite manner, clearly confusing and pleased her mother to some extent. “So are you a vegetarian as well?”

“She eats all that bleeds and begs for mercy, mom,” Sam interrupted and forced Arianna back to the door, “now that you’ve seen her, can we please just take some plates up to my room? We’re busy, remember?”

“Oh no, you don’t, young lady. You sit down with the family and be polite. What kind of manners are that in front of your new friend?”

Sam gave Arianna a nasty look, which she responded to with a guilty shrug. Grandma Ida watched them closely while eating her peas and her father started to cut for everyone, unaware or just plainly ignoring the tension between Sam and her mother. The smell of all that cooked meat and juice, made Sam queasy.

Her mother didn’t waste her time and started questioning ‘Lulu’ about her life. Sam listen with half an ear, as the halfa told some bullshit story about being an exchange student from Europe and living with some relatives.

They laughed at something Arianna had said and Sam stuck out her tongue. Her mother would property make another expression, if she just got the half of the real story of this new friend of Sam. She would probably scream and yell something about bad influence at her table. Maybe even faint.

“Sammikins, why didn’t you bring Lulu home sooner?” her mother chimed, “it’s such a refreshment, to that other company you bring along all the time. Those boys don’t know how to treat a lady.”

“Are we talking about Danny and Tucker?” Arianna asked and Pam lighted up, “oh yes, those types are no good for my daughter, I tell you. You should stay away from them as well. Can’t have them pollute two young ladies as yourself.”

Both Arianna and Sam looked offended. “I’m sure your just got the wrong expression of them, Mrs. Manson. Danny and Tucker are good boys.”

“Oh no,” Pam exclaimed patronizing and took Arianna’s hand, “Samantha introduced you to them, didn’t she? Sammikins, you should really be more considering and take care of your friends. All you do is defying me and your father and embarrassing us, with your rebellious actions and foolish devotion to violence and demons. Why can’t you stop this nonsense and be more like Lulu here?”

Sam felt her anger rise, but forgot all about it, when something unexpected happened. For a moment she had thought she saw Arianna’s eyes turn solid black. A small smile stretched the halfa’s black lips and one of her hands went discreetly under the table.

Sam watched in silent amassment as her mother’s wineglass suddenly turned intangible, and fell though the table and right into her lap. Her mother rose from the table with a yell and flipped out.

The dress was one of her favorite and least beloved of Sam. It was the one with the sunflower print. Too cheery and positive for the goth’s taste. And now ruined forever to.

Arianna caught her gaze and winked. Sam felt like hugging her or something.


	23. She doesn’t even go her!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright - this chapter is kind of a "sequel" to the previous chapter and i had a hard time deciding whenever i should post it the week after or along with the other chapter as a pair - my love for you guys won, so here you go - the adventure of the sisters of darkness continues   
> hope you guys enjoy - comments are always appreciated =)
> 
> * * *

“So I lied and told him my tango show was six in the morning instead of midday, to get him out and get some sleep. And then he just started making pushups on my floor! He was so drunk! I had to push him out of my dorm to get some peace. I remembered hearing someone banging on my door pretty early the next morning, but didn’t get up to check it out, because of the hangover. The next morning, I found a message pushed under my door saying; ‘was it a joke?’.”

Sam snorted and got beer all over the bedsheets.

“That’s so mean! You’re a mean girl!”

“What was I supposed to do? I already told the guy three times, I wasn’t interested and he couldn’t get through his thick head, that it was a closed show for members only. And those pushups were getting way out of control!”

Sam burst into laughter, feeling kinda tipsy. She had told herself with iron will, that this wasn’t gonna be one of those stereotyped flicks, where two entirely different girls get together and start braiding each other’s hair and share dirty secrets.

But that went out with the trash, when they returned to Sam’s room after the dramatic dinner and started trash talking Pamela Manson.

Normally people told Sam she was too hard on her mother and was too overdramatic, but Arianna seemed to understand her dislike completely and when one of her shades returned with beers and alcohol from the local shop, Sam forgot all about her spite for the other.

“Let me guess, you stole it?”

“Stole, borrowed – I don’t have a job and if you ask me, I deserves some fun after all that shit life have pulled me though these past teen years. Cheers,” Arianna grinned mischievously.

Sam couldn’t argue with that while drunk and raised her bottle, “Cheers – hey, is it true that Danish students get payed for studying?”

Arianna laid down on her arms, “oh yes. The government pay you for showing up to classes and stay in school, passing your exams – makes it easy to get a higher education and less money problems. It comes with the high taxes though, but in return, Danish people get free healthcare, education and other privileges.”

Sam opened another beer and laid down next to her, “sounds like your government’s some sort of Sugar Daddy.”

Arianna giggled, “yeah – he just loves to watch me studying. Makes him hard.”

The both fell into a laughing fit and turned up for Sam’s stereo. The heavy metal waves hit them like the blast of a compressed atomic bomb and would certainly annoy her mother downstairs. Sam felt good about this. She realized she missed truly having a female friend.

Not that she didn’t have good friends in both Tucker and Danny, but sometimes she felt excluded because of her gender and those two was like bros or something. But finding another girl who liked horror movies, dark music and didn’t get offend so easily, was almost one out of a trillion.

She had tried see that in Jazz, but Danny’s sister was too much into her own grownup lifestyle and was pink both on the outside and inside.

She pushed the foldout bed closer to her own before they got to bed and fell asleep easily, know that she was sure the other wouldn’t try and strangle her in her sleep.

The next morning, Arianna sent one of her shades down to get them some breakfast and later dinner, so they didn’t have to see Sam’s parents or leave the cozy room.

They had a blast watching _The X-files_ and eating ice-cream from Sam’s private fridge. Arianna was still in her goth outfit and could almost go for one, if it wasn’t for the strawberry and chocolate Sunday, with pink sprinkles and wiped cream in her hands.

Sam preferred her minty ice-cream with black liquorish topping and small gummy bears on top. But she supposed it was okay to be different as long as you had fun.

“Hey have you ever thought about doing something else than fuss around Danny and hide in his house?” Sam asked while the kid on screen started screaming, as a cockroach crawled into his arm.

Arianna bite into her dessert, “I don’t know. The original plan was to heal and go home – not to stay here and freeload on you guys. But I think Danny like having me around – I guess being around another halfa helps him understand his own situation better. I think he has a lot of doubts about the whole half-ghost existence thing. I guess it helps me get over my imprisonment too…Jazz pretty keen one me talking with someone about it…”

She giggled when the kid started cutting his own writs in panic.

“I could get a hobby I suppose…. maybe a job. Do something for the community. Trick some people into making me fake ID papers, not that it would be hard, you just have to overshadow them...”

She seemed to drift of and returned in time to watch the scene shift to Scully and Molder investigating. 

“Hey, Sam – what do you guys do to stay busy around here?”

Sam pursed her lips in thought, “well, Tucker have his techno gear and eternal girl hunting going for him. Danny do ghost duty – obviously – oh, and he do stargazing when he has the time. He can tell you almost anything about space and NASA is you ask him. He wanted to be an astronaut before the whole ghost ting. He can’t really pass the blood test, but I think he still secretly hopes to go to space one day.”

Sam felt bad for him, be deep down she doubted Danny would ever had made it into NASA – ghost blood or not. Becoming an astronaut for a guy like Danny was just…not realistic. She pushed down her pity on Danny and continued her open train of thoughts.

“Jazz has her studies and I think I’d heard her talking about some job interview she was applying for, but I’m not sure. If she gets it, she’ll be the only one of us to have a job, really.”

“What about you?” Arianna asked genuinely interested, “with all your money I doubt you need a job to make a living. What do you do when you’re bored out of your mind?”

“I’m actually president of Casper Highs environmental club,” Sam replied with a little sting of pride, “we’ll actually got frog dissection banned from the school and imposed the school to make an ‘plant a tree’ day. Plus, we’re getting ready for a demonstration against makeup brands tested on animal, next Tuesday down the Mall – you should come.”

“Sounds fun,” she noted, “one question though – will there be egg-throwing? Or are you guys more into the chain-yourself-to-a-pipe demonstrations?”

“Both,” Sam concluded and put her empty bowl down, “but we’re getting of track – we need to find you a hobby or something – a real hobby. Playing sidekick for Danny and housewife for Tucker isn’t gonna work in the long run – and now that Mr. and Mrs. Fenton returns, you need to leave the house. If they stumble upon you, they gonna cut you open on their dissection-table.”

Arianna made a disgusted face and put her ice-cream down. Lost her appetite. “I think you’re right – any hobby suggestions?”

-

The greenhouse was a bright contrast to Sam’s dark room and smelled humid, but fresh, due to the indoor irrigation system. The long rows of vegetables and fruits, delivered an accommodating scent and the ripe fruit shone in the sunset that fell upon the greenhouse in red squares.

Arianna admired the place with an open face and Sam checked that her babies was well and heathy, as they moved down the tables of plants.

“it’s not much, but I like to grows plant. You like flowers, right? Maybe you could adopt on of my plants and make it grow or something?”

Sam picked one of the fallen flower head from the plant next to her and placed in the others palm. Arianna looked at it in thought.

“It’s nice of you Sam, but…things don’t grow in the dark.” She crushed the flower in her palm, “they evolve. And it’s not a pretty _sight_.”

Sam let it slight, “then how about a job?”

Arianna picked one of the ripe oranges with Sam permission and started to peel it, “like what?”

“I dunno. Librarian? What did you do before you turned into a halfa?”

Arianna opened her mouth, but then stiffed and shivered like she was cold. Sam hadn’t seen her do that for a while and wondered if it was something chronic. The greenhouse was like a sauna, for crying out loud. Arianna smiled a little too wide, “excuse me a second.”

Sam watched as she went to the nearest bathroom and suddenly felt suspicion grow in her guts. That was weird. She left the greenhouse and sneaked up to the bathroom door. Placed her ear next to it, no sound could be heard.

“Uhmm, Arianna? You’re okay in there?”

She didn’t answer and Sam frowned. She made a decision and picked the door open with a bobby pen. What meet her was the sight of a shade. Arianna was nowhere to be seen and the shadow looked up from the mirror and hissed in surprise.

Sam stepped back and tried to spot the halfa. She was clearly gone – and one of the windows was wide open. The shade jumped into the air and lounged for the wall.

“Oh no you don’t!”

Sam grab its ghost-tail and phased out of the wall along with it. She fell to one of the bushes that ran along the premises, as the shade shook her off and flew for the streets. Sam spit out one of her mother’s price winning rhododendron flowers and ran to the garage.

Sam jumped on her scoter as the last of the shade disappeared down the street and stopped her attempt of persecution, when grandma Ida placed herself in front of the scooter.

Sam searched her mind for a reasonable explanation to be out driving in the middle of the night, chaing a running shadow, “uhh, I can explain!”

The old woman changed her dark attitude to an understanding one and gave her a helmet, “go get your friend. I tell the others you two went for a walk.”

Sam smiled gratefully and drove down the street for full throttle. She soon caught up to the visible shade and chased it into the city. The shade turned down the roads without noticing Sam, who kept to the shadows.

The shade soon left the inner city and continued its course to the less populated part of Amity Park. Sam followed it within a secure distance and was soon lead to a great building. It phased though the thick walls, and Sam stopped.

“Axion Labs? What is she up to?”

Sam felt anger rise and burn in her veins. That little bitch had tricked her into false security, just so that she could go behind their backs and make her little schemes. Sam should had known she was right all along. Those little shivers weren’t nothing. She facepalmed. Ugh!

Every time a shade had fused back into the woman, she had shivered. Of course! She must have all her little creepy invisible shadows all over the place! Flying around, doing her bidding, spying on people, scheming in the shadows. How could they be so stupid?

Sam hid the scooter behind one of the natural bushes and rummage the bag she always had prepared on the scooter. The suit Tucker had made specially for her was wiggled on and Sam activated it.

The invisible material turned her form blurry and then invisible, and Sam returned to the building with one of her ecto-guns.

“Time for a hunt,” she muttered darkly and sneaked in. (Whoa, this must be how Skulker felt all the time.) It was almost closing time and the last weekend workers walked out to the parking facility’s, before waving at the security guards or wishing each other goodnight.

Sam sneaked in behind them, as they opened the door with their cards and got in without having to breaking any doors open or force her entry. She picked the entrance card from one of the important looking men in a lab coats, without him noticing and sneaked though the door.

Safely inside the great entrance hall, she pulled out her Ghost-tracker, but didn’t find any trace of Nightshade. Either she wasn’t here or she suppressed her ghost-signature – Sam decided on the last one.

A ghostly signal, which was intercepted as a very weak ghost on the screen, told Sam to go east and she decided the ghost had to be the shade she had been following. She thought about calling Tucker and Danny for backup, but decided against it.

Danny would just take the other halfa’s side instantly and Tucker would come up with some lame theory that would make the halfa’s action seem innocent or something.

If Sam was to catch this bitch with dirty hands, she had to do it herself and show them the evidence later. Good thing she brought a camera.

She followed the signature to the deeper part of the lab and soon arrived at the more closed facilities, where guest wasn’t allowed, restricted workers only. She stopped as she passed one of the glass frames and saw a gimps of the shadow.

She pulled out one of her ghost catchers from her belt and threw it as the shade phased through the glass in front of her.

The shadow hissed as the little box sucked it up and the faint sound of screaming could be heard within the little sealed box. Sam picked it up and clicked in onto her belt. Now that the shade was out of the way and unable to tell its mistress Sam was on to her, it would easy as pie to catch her in the middle of a dirty act.

Sam followed the route the shade had turned to and soon reached a big lab section, with glass walls. She pulled down her ghost goggles and peaked though the glass. Nightshade was standing invisible with her back to Sam and examined some containers on a counter.

It looked like they were in the chemical lab facilities, several fridges stood side by side with lab equipment and computers calculated the insides of some glass containers. All surfaces seemed to contain various liquids in bright colors and most of them looked to be quite toxic if not deadly.

Sam pulled out her camera and sneaked in. Nightshade lifted one of the closed measuring cups to the light. Sam read the measuring cups label though the lens, with confusion, “Plasma fusion (test 69)?”

Nightshade lost her invisibility in surprise and turned around with wide black eyes, “Sam? What are you doing here!?”

Sam took a picture, “framing you and your dirty schemes, shade!”

Nightshade raised her hands as Sam pointed at her with the gun. Her three eyes darted, her voice unsure, “wait, let me explain.”

“Shut it!” Sam replied and Nightshade moved to the side in a heartbeat. Sam pulled the trigger in response and Nightshade dodged. One of the machines behind her was hit and burst into flames.

“Oh, shit!” Nightshade whispered in horror, “Sam, we better get out of here!”

A siren started wailing and the sound of running guards got close.

“There’s no ‘we’ in this! You lied to us! You used us! What is that sample for!?”

“There’s no time! Come on!”

Nightshade grabbed her under the arms and phased them though the walls and continued up through the ceiling. A shade phased out of her back and snatched the sample on the table. It was about to phase it into itself, but Sam would have none of that and shot it. Clean bullseye.

Nightshade dropped her in chock as her shade shattered and the sample fell. “No!”

The lab's security system came to life and bright floodlights framed the halfa. She shielded her eyes and the new shades she was about to make, hiss in pain and dissolve into nothing. Sam screamed as she fell and Nightshade watched in panic as both the goth and the sample was only seconds from falling to the lab floor.

The halfa made a decision and prevented Sam’s fall, with just a second to spare. Behind them, the sample hit the floor and was turned into thousands of pieces. The red liquid was all over the tiles and Nightshade looked at it with despaired. Sam rolled her eyes.

“If you’re waiting for a pity party, I’m sorry to disappoint you.”

The half-ghost didn’t even look at her. She phased them down the floor and ended up on the basement floor. Over them the guards and siren continued faintly. Nightshade shook with suppressed rage and turned away from Sam.

“You have no idea, what you’ve just done – I have waited for that sample to be perfected and stable for weeks…and now its ruined.”

“What is?” Sam asked with a scuff, “your chances of stealing some destruction virus? A mutation poison? Ghost power Serum?”

“Try _stabilizer_ ,” she sneered, “that sample was the perfect mixture of human blood cells and ghost ectoplasm. They were just experimenting to see what ghost plasma would do to the human system, and maybe – just _maybe_ , it could have helped me heal my human body.”

Sam felt her stomach fell, “oh…”

A laser shot though the celling and past them. Arianna grabbed her, “no time for oh’s – come one.”

Sam followed her more willingly now and help her navigate through the buildings ghost trapes and laser systems. They escape the lab without getting caught, sneaked to the labs bushes and took Sam’s scooter home. Sam had to admit she felt kinda…bad.

Arianna was sitting behind her, silent the whole trip back to Sam’s home and Sam had no idea what to say. The arrived outside Sams dark house and Arianna stood of the scooter with an aloof demeanor. She turned to the front door, without waiting for Sam and turned her human glamor on. Still dressed as a goth and now matching the personality of one.

The goth sighed in self irritation and stopped her at the stairs, “Arianna, wait.”

The halfa stopped, but still didn’t look at her.

“I…I’m sorry.” Arianna sighed tiredly and spoke without emotions, “no you’re not. I know you don’t like me and will take every opportunity to point a suspicious finger at me. It’s annoying – but I understand why you do it. You just want to protect Danny and your friends, and I’m a threat, I get it.”

Sam winced, she had been pretty mean to her, hadn’t she?

“I know…but I am sorry. Really.”

“I tell you what,” the fake goth finally said after a painfully long pause, “I forgive you and we forget all about it – if you promise not to tell Danny. He doesn’t want me to get close to that Lab, for some reason and I don’t want him to get all worked up about it.”

Sam knew why. The place was a ghost trap and even if it laid low, those big pictures of the owner would probably make Arianna ask questions. It was a miracle; she hadn’t spotted any of the big Vlad Masters frames on her way to the chemical lab.

Sam didn’t like the idea of keeping stuff from Danny, but they were already hiding stuff from Arianna – and what Dany didn’t know he didn’t have to worry about. Plus, Sam didn’t really feel like telling him she had crushed the female halfa’s chances of getting well either.

“Deal.” They shook hands and returned to Sam room. Sam was still a little ashamed, but Arianna just laid a hand on her shoulder and smiled in understanding. They spend the rest of the weekend as if it had never happened and Sam could work with that.

She returned from the bathroom to see the other sitting in front her open computer.

“Found anything?”

Arianna smiled sheepishly, “sorry, I got kind of tired, looking at those job applications you found and couldn’t keep myself from snooping around a little. I found your homework. Julius Caesar, huh?”

“Yeah, it sucks, I know history is your field, but it sucks.”

Arianna just shrugged, “I understand - but consider this, the name Caesar means ‘emperor’ and became the official title for Rom’s rulers, after his dead.”

Sam didn’t quite follow, “…so?”

“Sooooo, since Caesar became Rom’s first unofficial emperor, to some extent, it would make him the moon moon of roman history. Caesar Caesar.”

Sam snorted, “If that's how you serve history, I would go to your history classes anytime. It’s just a shame you don’t…”

They stared at each other, “…teach…”

-

Danny and Tucker walked into class with tires eyes and shrunken bodies. They had spent the weekend staring at the screens for too long and with too much greasy food at hand. Danny looked forward to some real home cooking again and turned to his table.

“Here we go again,” he sighed and sat down with Tucker. “Monday morning and another boring class to get though. I could actually use a ghost attack right now.”

Tucker just nodded and was about to take a sip of his energy drink, but the smell reminded him of the chips and cola smoothie he and Danny had made back at his place in an insane sugar rush and put the can safely away.

“Morning hotshots!”

They both turned to the sight of the grinning Sam. She sat with her feet up the table, looking content with a smile and quite pleased with herself.

“Why you’re so cheery all of a sudden? Forgot this is a history class?” Tucker asked sarcastic, but the goth just smirked, “give it a minute guys, history is going to get _quite_ interesting.”

The boys shared a confused glance and sat down to the sound of the bell. The entire class waited uninterested for Mr. Lancer to make his entrance, but no out of shape teacher showed up with his steaming coffee mug.

Some of the football players peaked up when their hormone-driven brains caught on to the sound of tall clicking heals, headed their way through the hallway.

A young black teacher in pumps and a short pink office suit, stepped through the door and took a stand by the classrooms blackboard. She threw her red hair over her left shoulder and smiled wide.

“Morning students! I’m your new history teacher, miss Shade. I’m here to pepe up that old semester schedule of yours and give it a European touch. I’m guessing you guys have had enough of the old founding fathers and American settlers – so we won’t be studying them anymore. We are going to lean about the south American cannibal tribes, witch huntings in northern America, the 19th Century industry revolution, the 14th Century Ming Warriors, the black death of medieval Europe and Rom’s gladiator fights and burnings though history!”

The entire class seemed stunned and then turned into a chaos of whispering and low cheering. Both Tucker and Danny turned to Sam with wide eyes.

“What. Did. You. Do!?”

Sam just wriggled her eyebrows, “What? I just got her a job.”


	24. Why are you descending in age so rapidly? – IM THREE! – I don't think I can even employ you, you are so young! – IM TEN, BUT I LOOK TWELVE, BUT IM ONLY SIX!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Warning:** I put up the tag "religious taboos" when i first started this fic, due to this chapter and still can make up my mind is should be there or not - but i guess that strongly religious people would find this chapter offensive, but i could be wrong  
>  The theory about what happened to Jesus body after his death, is a real theory my university professor stated last year during our study of early christianity and he earned alot of laughter and weak smiles from most of the auditorium that day - personally i think its could be a logical possibility, brutal or not  
> If your interested in what my professor else have to say, his name is Mikael Rothstein, should he ever lecturer in your area i can highly recommend his lectures in religion and humoristic way of entertaining his audience  
> hope you enjoy, comments are always welcome
> 
> * * *

_Tucker Foley – Digital journal._

_Having Arianna as a teacher turned out to be a lot cooler than expected. Danny was against the idea at first and who could blame him? Having a personal servant, cook, house keeper and ghost teacher at your hand every second of the day, was hard to give up, but as a human teacher it had its advantages to._

_Just take the homework for an instance. We don’t know how she did it, but history class just got teen times more exciting to attend and the homework was like piece of cake. Most of the time we just watched historical movies and had her pointing out the history flaws and teach us about the more accurate times._

_The anecdote she could tell from her own studies and professors was both funny and interesting – and in a way, we probably learned something about history to._

_Well mostly the goory parts. Some parents have complained, but that’s nothing ghost powers and persuasive overshadowing can’t fix. I’m not complaining._

_Having Danny’s parents back into Fenton Works was the hardest part. The house still stench for the two halfa’s, from whatever fumigate gasses the two ghost hunters had spread. Danny had to fake a cold, while Arianna hided in the guestroom in the Emergency Ops center over the house and kept out of sight – which turned out to be kind of a challenge._

_If Danny had felt threatened in his own home by his parent’s ghost weapons and experiments, it was nothing compared to the fact that they now suspected a ghost still live under their roof._

_But I’m getting ahead of myself. It’s was two days away from the 13th of April. Which my schedule and calendar reminded me, was Danny’s birthday. Sweet seventeen._

“Tucker, I can let you skip my test and play games in clear sight, but you have to hide that PDA for a moment. Lancer is still spying outside the classroom and I like this job.”

Tucker put the PDA away and gave Arianna – or Miss. Shade as she now called herself – a grin, “no problem, Miss.”

She smiled with a wink and returned to the rest of the class, before taking his blank test along with her. Another good thing about this class. She didn’t care if Danny, Sam or Tucker did anything productive in her class. She was still gonna give them A+ in the end.

Danny had asked her why – “seriously Danny, are you going to need history in your further education or job?”

“Um, no?”

“Then what’s the problem?”

Tucker leaned back in his seat and watched as Mr. Lancer spied outside of the classroom door, apparently thinking he was slick or something. The man seemed to have a grudge against the new teacher.

In his world, no class should be having this many passing students and relaxed teenagers in it at the same time. It’s was just wrong.

He hadn’t come up with an excuse for firing her though, but the rumor has it that the out of shape teacher was collecting the disturbed parent’s signatures, but couldn’t get anything trough with the school board. Tucker suspected she used her powers on the principal or something.

Sweet.

“Lancers really up to this,” Sam said from the next seat, “he’s been doing this for a month now.”

“Relax,” Danny said as he turned around to them, “what is he gonna do anyway? Curse her with book titles? He’s harmless.”

“What do you mean, giving Jesus a burial crypt is unrealistic?” one of the more religious kids asked up front. Tucker haven’t paying attention, but now realized they had been watching _The passion of Christ_. Whoa, Brutal.

“I mean,” Arianna started, sitting on the teachers’ disk, “we are in the roman empire, kids. Jesus was tortured and sentient as a normal criminal. Romans and not even Jews, would give an expensive crypt to an executed criminal. They threw them on the city dump or buried them in mass graves.”

Some of the students gasped in horror and she raised her hands in a calming manner, “I know, but its simple fact – it’s also a fact that we can’t prove what happened to his body, since we don’t have many sources of his deeds outside Christian tendency.”

“So what could have happened?” Dash asked confused and Arianna smiled, “actually that’s a very good question, Mr. Baxter. A quistion one of my former university professors had a interesting theory about. You see, when Jesus started his church, it was started as most religions – it was a sect formed out of another successful religion, in this case the Judaism. Your young people probably heard about modern sects and I can tell you, that they always started out with a bright religious idea and a charismatic leader. As you all may know, most sect members will do almost _anything_ for their leaders and take his or her words to the extreme, if they believe it will bring them salvation – so this is where it gets wild.”

She turned the overhead on and searched her computer, before putting up a verse from the bible.

“This is John 6:51-58: _‘I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.’_ – Jesus tells them here that salvation can only be earned though obtaining his flesh and blood. He tells them the same later in other verses in the time leading up to his execution.”

She gave them a wicked smile, “so get this, and remember – this is just a theory – but am I right when I say, there was no body found of Jesus Christ? What do you think based on Jesus last worlds and his disciples’ desperation for salvation, could be the course? Maybe they did something to his body?…maybe they committed _cannibalism?_ ”

The geek, Mickey, stormed out of the door, with a green face and most of the class seemed either shocked or disturbed. Sam looked like she would burst into laughter, “my rabbi is gonna freak out if he hears about this!”

 _“Gone with the Wind!”_ Lancer yelled outside the door. Mickey hadn’t been fast enough and decorated the hallway with his breakfast, Mr. Lancer stepped around the mess and opened the rest of the door with a furious look, “can I have a word, Miss. Shade?”

Arianna fluttered her eyelashes in mocking innocence, “who _me?_ Alright.” She winked at them before following Lancer out and left the class to do as they pleased. Danny turned to them, “ah man, you think she gets in trouble now?” Tucker and Sam shrugged.

They left class as the bell called to lunch and settled in the cafeteria, Tucker unpacked his meaty lunch, “so hey, Danny. Any plans for your birthday at Friday?”

“Yeah, what do you wanna do? Go out? See a movie? Throw a party at your place?”

They both look at him in excitement and Danny scratched his neck, “wow, I totally forgot about my own birthday – what is that for a stressful month.”

An invisible intruder joined them at the table and Danny and Sam leaned discreetly over the tables, while Tucker moved one of the new cafeteria plants over. Nightshade let the invisibility go and took place behind the plant. Hiding from others view.

“The teacher’s menu is a lot better than what you guy have access to – I bought some,” she said and turned to her glamor form, placing dishes on their table.

Tucker picked out from the selection of meat dishes and steaks, “sweet. I knew they were hiding a meat buffet in there.”

Sam took the exotic salads and fruit basket with a smile, while Danny just went for a club-sandwich, “nice going – but what about Lancer? Did he get you fired?”

She just blew him a raspberry, “pfft, they can’t fire me – I’ve possessed the entire school board.”

Their conversation was interruopted, as the A-lists passed their part of the cafeteria and Dash leaned over their table, “nice lunch, losers – who packed it? Your mom?”

Star and Kwan snickered, while Paulina took one of Sam’s apples, taking a huge bite “like Danny’s mother could actually put a meal together. Last time he brought home cooked at school, it attacked the freshmens – I say he had to make it himself. What a loser!”

Danny waited for it to be over, while Tucker made sure Sam stayed in her seat. It had been sometime since the picking and bullying had centered Tucker and the others, but Dash had a reputation to keep and bugging them was a part of it. It was best just to let it pass, really.

But apparently someone had forgot to mentioned that rule to Arianna.

They all gasped, as the soya salad landed in Paulina’s hair. She cried out and Dash turned to Danny as his target of revenge, when the plate of medium steaks smacked him in the face. Most of the cafeteria was laughing by now and Dash sneered, “you're dead, Fen- _turd!_ ” 

He grabbed one of the geeks plate of mud pie and fired at Danny. The raven-haired teen and goth ducked in time. The plate hit someone at the next table and students stood up with clenched in their fists, “FOOD FIGHT!”

Tucker and his friends fired what they had of ammunition – with was a lot, thanks to their history teacher – and took cover behind the toppled table. Food fight was a traditional sport between the Caspar high students and many had developed strategies and survival techniques over the years.

Cafeteria food fight was no joke. It was war.

Arianna turned visible next to him with a little smile, “come here often?”

“We’re gonna be in so much trouble,” Danny groaned and fired a yoghurt over the table. It hit Dash square in the back of his head and Tucker gave him a highfived. Tucker threw his streak, after one last bite, that is and sat back with the others.

Danny pursed his lips, “about my birthday – how about we just take a slow relaxing day and spend it at the arcade? It’s not a sweet sixteen, so I don’t think my parents had anything big planned.”

“Sure,” Tucker replied, “it’s your day, dude – but if you wanna live to see Friday, I say we leave the battlefield before Lancer frames us.”

The others strongly agreed and the halfa’s phased them out of the battlefield.

-

“Freeze spook!”

Danny froze one foot into the living room and put his hands up, as his parents jumped out from their hideouts and pointed at him with a new weapon. His eyes popped, “I can explain!”

Sam and Tucker jumped in front of him, “remember he’s your son!”

“That’s odd,” Maddie said confused, completely oblivious to the teen 'defenses positions and checked her ghost gear, “according to this ghost radar, there should be a level 8 and 5 ghost right behind Danny. You kids haven’t seen the ghost kid or the Wisconsin ghost, have you?”

They all shook their heads in unison and ran to the stairs, “gotta go, we have homework – very busy, don’t bother us – bye!”

Danny slammed the door and leaned on it heavily, “for a second there, I thought it was over.”

Nightshade let her invisibility go and sad down on Danny’s bed, “your parents sure is passionate about their ghost hunting – who’s the Wisconsin ghost by the way? He has to be pretty strong if he’s the same level as I.”

“No one!” they all exclaimed at the same time and shared a panicked gaze.

“I mean,” Sam started lamely, “he’s a ghost they meet on a reunion party in Wisconsin. _None_ of us where there, so we actually don’t know. Probably Just some old creepy lonely ghost haunting a castle, nothing to worry about.”

(Back at the head office of DALV co., Vlad’s eyes glowed red and he reminded himself to punish the little brat when he got the time. But not now. He had to watch them on the laptop along with a screen meeting next to him and take care of his green tea at the same time. Good thing he could duplicate.)

“Hey! I know what I want for my birthday!” Danny suddenly cheered and walked over to his wall posters, “the Space center in Florida! We never really did get to visit it right back then, with Freakshow and his Reality gauntlet. And since my birthday lands on a Friday, we have the whole weekend to get out there.”

“But you used all your savings for it last time – and your birthday is two days away, how will you get the money?” Tucker asked and Arianna lighted up, like a lightbulb, “wait here!” and phased out of the room. She returned a moment later with an envelope in her hand, “we can use my teacher bonus!”

“Aren’t that only for teachers with special qualifications based on an achievement?” Sam asked suspicious and frowned. Arianna smiled wicked, “I’m just taking it as advance payment – it was bound to be mine anyway and what better way to spend it, than going on a birthday trip?”

They couldn’t argue with that and danced while she made money rain, “birthday trip! Birthday trip! Birthday trip!”

“TRIP!?” Jack Fenton exclaimed as he kicked down the door. Arianna turned invisible and the teens stepped in front of her, trying to hid the suspicious dollar bills all over the floor, with innocent smiles. Jack took note of the still falling bills, “hmm, must be the Fenton confetti machine again,” he mumbled before turning to the teens with a devastated face, “Aw the surprise is ruined.”

Maddie appeared from behind him with a matching face, “I’m sorry sweetie, but your father and I have been invited to the annual ghost hunter convention in Florida on your birthday. We sorry, Danny, but it’s a one life opportunity for us and we will be gone the whole weekend too.”

“No, it’s okay,” Danny said and ran up to them, while Tucker and Sam stores the money away as discreetly as possible, “actually I was thinking of celebrating it with Tucker and Sam anyway, so there’s no harm done – right guys?”

“Right!” they replied and stepped on the last evidence, “we take care of him, no problem.”

Maddie still seemed unsure, “oh, Danny I don’t want you to feel –”

“It’s settled then!” Jack yelled and grabbed his wife before running out of the door, “time to pack the RV, Fenton style!”

His wife goggles widened, “but, Jack! The Fenton compressor isn’t near finish!”

Tucker closed the door and everyone breathed in relief. Danny picked up one of the dollar bills, “so, Florida trip?”

The teens continued their heated conversation about the trip to Florida, while Nightshade maintained her attention on the door. Her eyes narrowed.

_What parents would leave their son to celebrate his seventeen birthday without family?_

-

The next two days passed in a fast drift, but not fast enough for Danny. He had already packed before Tucker and Sam arrived at Fenton Works and made a great effort to push his parent out of the door.

“Have a good trip, Mr. and Mrs. Fenton,” Danny smiled and waved, before running back in to get his own luggage. Jack seemed just as excited as his son, but of course not for the same reasons, “just imagine, Maddie. Those other hunters are gonna be so jealous when they see our newest invention – The Fenton ghost power descender!”

Sam and Tucker shared a worried look, “so it descends ghost powers?”

“Not just that!” Jack retorted with a grin, excited by the chance of showing his invention off a little, and started turning a little button on the side of the machine, “it makes ghost turn back to their punier and less powerful state, by shrinking them with age! I will just conveniently put in on 16 years!”

Both Sam and Tucker tried to object in horror, but nothing could stop Jack from pressing the trigger. A silent wave unfolded from the machine and a gasp came from inside the house.

“Have fun!” Jack and Maddie said cheery and jumped into the RV, before disappearing in fast and dangerous speed, that challenge several traffic law enforcements.

The two teens didn’t waste time and ran for the door and froze. Danny’s jeans, red hoodie and phantom t-shirt was lying in a heap in the middle of the living room.

“No!” Sam screamed and fell to her knees, “he’s gone forever!”

“Tucker? Sam?” They heard Arianna call uncertain.

“Oh no,” Tucker lamented dramatic, “it has infected her to!”

They both looked up to find Arianna, who had collapsed by the couch. She stood with shaking legs and caught her own reflection in a mirror, Tucker gasped, “you, you…" but then lifted an eyebrow, "look like yourself?”

“I feel weird,” she replied weakly and suddenly crocked an eyebrow, “…why do I suddenly feel like making an all-nighter to study with redbull and live of instant noodles, to save money?” she studied her face scrutinizing in the mirror and then narrowed her eyes to slits, “must be nineteen again. Such cursed age.”

Sam deadpanned, “seriously, how can you tell?”

She just shrugged, “I’ve looked like this since I turned eighteen, so there is no way telling – it’s a feeling, Sam.”

A wail made them all turn around. A small baby crawled out from within Danny’s shirt collar and looked at them with big icy blue eyes, swimming in tears.

The same, but apparently younger Arianna, picked him up and made him calm down with a kiss on the cheek, “shhh, Danny, mommy is here.”

 _“Mommy?”_ Sam asked with a raised eyebrow and the halfa smiled embarrassed, “sorry – uhmm, what exactly happened here?”

“Jack used one of his new inventions,” Tucker explained, “it makes ghost descending in age and power, and he put it to 16 – that makes you two the age of one and nineteen.” He suddenly blinked in realization, “hey, that means I can try dating you again!”

“Focus, Tucker!” both female yelled and made Danny cry again. Arianna turned around to get him to calm down, with motherly care and embarrassing baby talk.

Sam stuck her tongue out, “we have to get that ghost descender and turn them back! Arianna! Stop squishing Danny cheeks and get to the fucking car!”

“Don’t talk like that in front of my son!” she replied and earned herself a glance.

“Sorry, just slipped my tongue…”

They all ran to Sam’s black Cadillac and Sam made ready to speed up, when Arianna placed a blue baby seat into the car. She placed herself next to the now secure and dressed toddler, and seated herself next to him with a big nursing bag on her lap.

“Where did you get that stuff?”

“The storage room in the Ops center – the rest I had my shades to fetch. A mother should always be prepared.”

Tucker took the seat next Danny and leaned over the toddler, “have I mentioned that I always wanted to started a family with a single mother?”

Danny giggled and snatched Tuckers glasses. Sam watched them in the rearview mirror with a shiver. As much as it irritated her to see Danny and Arianna all lovey-dovey like that, she was relieved that the other female had taken the responsible for the baby.

Sam really hated kids. She had been forced to babysit her cousins’ countless times and would rather eat meat, than repeat that ever again. Tucker started baby-talking the baby along with Arianna and Sam reconsidered that statement.

She would rather eat the content of Tuckers lunchbox, than stand for this much longer.

“Shut up _16 and Pregnant_ , we have a ghost hunter RV to catch!” Sam shouted and pressed the speeder.


	25. Oh god honey, no! What kind of mother do you think I am?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm freaking out over here!   
> My new laptop can't make a freaking angle parenthese!!!   
> How can one write fanfic in HTML with such keyboard!!!   
> guese copy paste from my previous updates is the answer - oh well   
> hope you enjoy and leave a comment if you feel like it
> 
> * * *

If there was anything Danny Fenton had learned from his father – other than all ghost was soulless creature, who only deserved to be ripped apart molecule by molecule and that fudge could cure anything, etc, etc – it was that driving safe was for _sissies._

The RV driving in front of Sam’s Cadillac proved that Jack Fenton always stood by his words and drove though the highway with ridiculous high speed and tactless road manners. Quite dangerously actually.

“Where did he get his license!? From the carnival’s bumper-cars manager?” Sam kept up the speed, while Arianna kept the car both intangible and invisible with her powers. It made following the Fenton RV a lot easier, but still not fast enough, which was straight up incredible.

The one-year-old Danny was watching them form his baby seat and munched on the small bits of chips that Arianna had feed him.

He watched them with the open intensity that often characterized small children and listened carful to their hectic talking, but his way of thinking was quite delicate in his current state.

Trapped as he was in the body and mind of a toddler, he had a lot of information stored in his mind, but the only train of thought that seemed to be able to break though the mental barrier, was thoughts like; _“when would he get to crawl again?”_ /p>

_“What would it take to make his mommy use her funny voice?”_

Or _“when would he get his next piece of chips?”_

_“Gimi gimi!”_

Those thoughts seemed more important than trying to talk, telling the others that they had to turn him back to his respectable age immediately, or telling Arianna that he wanted bigger pieces of chips.

But thumbs up for getting him his favorite brand by the way.

Tucker took one of the chips and spit it out immediately, “lime and vinegar? What sane person would eat that crap? You crazy, Danny.”

Danny just giggled and clapped his hands, clearly amused by the others antics. Something told him he should reply with a sarcastic reply, but he forgot how to speak and didn’t really care. This guy was wearing some funny shiny reflecting things on his face, just like his mommy next to him and he wanted them.

Of those two, the guy was the easiest prey.

“Hold one, they slowing down and changing to that exit – how close are we to the ghost convention, Tucker?” Sam asked hectic and made a shortcut though a bus.

Tucker snatched his glasses back from the toddler and searched his PDA. Danny’s eyes grew huge and felt a new desire, he wanted that bigger _shinier_ thingy. It would probably taste good and say funny things if he hit it against something.

“No, baby Danny, this babe is only for big boys – stick to your rattle, dude,” Tucker retorted and pushed Danny small chubby hands of the PDA.

That didn’t seem right to the toddler and he looked up at his mommy with pleading eyes. The teen Arianna made an “aww” noise, smiling wide, “oh, Danny honey, how can I say no to those big blue eyes of yours?”

“Stop messing with him like that, Arianna. His probably himself in his mind and frustrated ‘cause we can’t communicate!” Sam scowled up front.

“I’m not sure, he doesn’t look like his aware of his change at all. I kinda feeling more teen every second, myself. Can we play _System of a down_ on the radio or something? I think I have it on my Iphone.”

“Keep your focus on the car, you idiot!” Sam yelled and made a neck-breaking turn, as the now solid and visible car almost got squeezed between to cars.

Arianna placed her hands back on the car with a pouting, “fine, but you don’t have to be a bi...uhm, female dog about it.”

“Tucker! Directions now!”

Danny looked from one female to the other. They were clearly talking about him – they said his name, obviously – but he didn’t get it. He knew he liked that girl up front and wanted to play and lick her face to show the other kids she belonged to him, but she was talking meanly to his mommy.

That couldn’t be right. They were both his playmates! They should make finger-painting together! Oh, now he wanted a coloring book and shiny crayons to. Good thing mommy seemed to know what he wanted.

“Good thinking, now he can communicate with us!” the girl up front said, hope coloring her voice, making it gentler and Danny got the idea of showing her his brilliant creativity, and started painting the seats instead of the plain paper.

She groaned and Danny continued – that sound clearly meant she liked it. There were more where that came from!

“The hall is right ahead, dudes,” Tucker informed and protested, when Sam made a sharp turn and the car phased through three trucks at once.

A large building appeared at the end of the road and a large banner announced with self-important letter in bold, that they had arrived at _**‘the annual ghost hunter conference of Florida – the medium of future spectral-hunting’.**_

“Catchy,” Tucker noted and Sam rolled her eyes at the sign and stream of ghost hunters gathering at entrance to the convention. She parked the car as far from the entrance as possible and Arianna let go of car with a tired sigh.

The car returned to normal from its invisible state and scared the shit out of a senior in a minivan, who had tried to park at the exact same spot.

They ignored the minivan and jumped out of the newly decorated car. Sam dragged a hand through her hair at the sight of Danny’s new artistic side. She decided to ignore it and punish him, when it became legal to punch him again later.

None of them wanted to waste time and ran to the front doors. Arianna made them all invisible to get around the guards and they stepped inside the grand building. Sam pushed some middle-aged people in spandex out of her way and gave the crowed and stands a quick scoot, “where the hell did they go?”

Danny only heard the last part, since his mommy had his ears covered, in order to protect his innocent mind from the goth’s foul language. Danny clapped his small hands in glee. A new game?

Arianna gathered them together in a closed circle, “listen, they don’t know or would recognize me in my human glamor and defiantly not Danny as he is now – I say we split up and if your guys find them before me, you call me over the Fenton earplugs and I approached them as a distraction, while the two of you grab the ghost descender, deal?”

They all stuck their hands together – even Danny, what a funny game – made a quick spontaneous battle cry “ _team phantom!”_ and ran in each direction.

As soon as the other two was out of sight, Arianna let a bunch of invisible shades do the search for her and walked down to the cafeteria area to sit down with her toddler. She placed him on her lap and opened the heavy nursing-bag, “here we go, Danny. Ready for some lunch?”

He opened and closed his little hands eagerly, as she unpacked his little box of carful selected food and snacks. She watched him eat for a time and listed to the radio playing a summer tune mixing with the calming background noise coming from the other tables. Women or families with small children at their own.

She opened a juice box for him, helping him with the tricky straw.

“This I actually quite nice don’t you think? Just you and me, having some quality time and peace.”

She gave him one of the sweet granola bars and made sure he didn’t chook on it, “you know I like you, right Danny?” the toddler gave her a cheery look and she smiled pleasantly. She returned the smile, maybe a little too wide and dried his sticky mouth with a Kleenex.

Her voice lowered for only him to hear, he listed to her babbling, not the least worried.

“I owe you a lot, Danny. If it wasn’t’ for you I would still be fighting for survival right now and probably eat some poor bastards brain out – its weekend and midday, that used to be the schedule.”

She giggled, “It’s funny, I never had strong feeling for others than my family this way. You’re clearly something else – you even made me reconsider murdering that little gloomy girlfriends of yours, when she prevented me from getting that plasma sample back at Axion-lab.”

The toddler blinked and stopped his chewing. Danny was pretty sure he should be alarm by these words, but couldn’t remember why. His mommy gave him a wary gaze, noticing the change of his face.

“Uhm…In case you remember this and understands me, it was a joke – I could never harm you that way, now _could_ I?”

Her comforting tone and sweet smile made him feel alright again and he moved on to his apple slices.

Mommy was so silly.

She leaned back on the cheap plastic chair, balanced him on her knee and made an expression of debating.

“Maybe I should just take you now and leave them all. Keep you this way and raise you as my own,” she finally whispered, playing with his black strands in thought.

“I would probably be doing you a favor, removing you from these humans. They’re not like us, Danny, you only hurt yourself devoting yourself to your family like that. It would be better if I just took you now and allowed you to forget about them all. Forget they ever existed. Keep you sane and happy. Would you like that, Danny? Live with me forever?” her tone was still trusting and sweet, but something was still bugging him.

The line of words sounded like something he knew and recognized from somewhere, sounding a lot like something he wanted to coat in mud and leave out in the cold rain. Someone he didn’t wanna play with or be held by.

He took one of the coloring books and started drawing, his mommy observed him closely, “who’s that?”

She picked up the drawing, straightened her gold rimmed glasses and studied the stick-figure with sepsis. It was clearly a ghost, due to the blue skin and fluttering cape. Danny grabbed it again and started adding more colors.

“Oh, now I get it, it’s the ghost who helped you freeing Mommy. That vampire ghost…what’s with him, Danny?”

Danny didn’t really know. But something was telling him he should warn his mommy about him, making sure she was safe from him and didn’t get taking away from Danny.

The fear and uncertainty made him feel sad and tears started to roll down his soft cheeks. He just wanted to protect her.

Please don’t take her away. Don’t take his mommy away from him.

“Aww, Danny. You really don’t like this guy, do you?” she said softly and held him close, “I thought you didn’t want to tell me about him, because you wanted to keep secrets from me. But you are scared, aren’t you? You are afraid him…you poor thing.”

She calmed him down with a mixture of softly humming and hugging him close to her chest. The shooting sound of her voice and warm pulsing core behind the human glamor, made Danny forget his fears and returned to the comfort of safety.

He soon forgot all about that fruitloop ghost and smiled in content.

Mommy would never leave him. She loved him.

Arianna shivered as one of her shades returned and gave her a metal picture of the location of the two ghost hunters and their stall. She sighed dramatic and clicked her tongue in annoyance.

“Seems the world needs us again, Danny. Maybe it for the best – even if I wanted to, I couldn’t take you with me like this. My body isn’t healed and I still need to find a fast way to fix it, before I decide your future. Come on.”

Danny stared at all the shining inventions exhibited all-around him and clutched his little hands in his mommy’s dress. All those people made him unsure and clingy.

She didn’t seem to mind at all and humor him with baby-talk, as they walked down the path between the stalls of ghost inventions and small elevated scenes of products and company demonstration.

When she didn’t look, Danny grabbed one of the shiny free outstanding pieces from one of stations and stuck it in his mouth. The toddler scrunched his little face in disgust. Metallic and disgusting.

He let the piece fall the ground and forgot all about it. Behind them the piece hit the floor with its control buttons headfirst and one of its functions was activated.

Green foam started pouring out of its end and turned the gateway between the stalls into a big green mess of slippery ectoplasm. Arianna didn’t see any of it since she was going in the other direction, but Danny watching over her shoulder and giggled in delight.

A group of spectators slipped in the puddle and a crowed of bystanders gathered to see what was going on. They gasped in horror as the foam came to life and gobbled up one of the people standing near it.

Danny giggled. This place was fun! And that green thingy was coming closer! It wanted to play! Yay!

Arianna stopped as her ghost-sense was activated and filled her mouth with the foul taste of black tar. Not very delicate or pleasing to the taste buds, but a decade in a world of ghosts had taught her to reconciling with the taste. More or less.

She turned around as the screams turned up in volume and gasped, as a green monster of foam was heading her way and if its hungry face was anything to go by, its intention wouldn’t be exactly benevolent. Her old battle instinct kicked in and she jumped into the air, turning ghost.

“Ghost!”

_Åh, lort_ *…She dodged and flew like hell, as lasers and colorful ecto-fueled shots was fired her way and picked up speed. This place was as good as a deathtrap for ghosts and she had Danny to protect. Danny seemed to understand this wasn’t a game anymore and started crying, as the ghost hunters pursued them.

“It has stolen a child! Get it!”

Nightshade cursed in her own language and turned invisible. That didn’t help much since the most of the hunters here had brought ghost goggles, but it singled out half of her opponents and gave her some time to find the Fenton couple.

She knew she had arrived at the right place, when she heard the war cry, “no ghost shall prevent Jack Fenton from sharing his smarts and inventions!” and tried to find a place to change back to her glamor without being noticed.

A sharp shot hit her between the shoulder blades and she turned around in rage and bared teeth.

“Let the child go, demon spook. I know who you are, you’re that ghost woman who hurt my husband and broke my leg,” Maddie Fenton sneered and pointed her weapon at the female halfa’s face.

Nightshade lowered her eyebrows and let one of her shades overtake Danny. This woman was good, she admitted that much. The fact that she had recognize her without the black helmet and completely suppressed core, clearly proved her hunter instincts to be in an advance class.

The halfa huffed jeering and let her invisibility go. Turned to her opponent with a confident pose. “You don’t want to fight me, Ghost huntress. You don’t have _legs_ enough,” she sneered with a glee and Maddie replied with a shot.

Nightshade answered the fire and turned intangible as the others quick shots charged for her chest. Maddie avoided her black blasts and the spectators jumped into hiding as five shades did the female halfa company.

Three of them went to take care of the backup running to Maddie Fenton’s rescue and secured that it would stay a fair fight between the two women. Well, fair and fair. Maybe two against one wasn’t exactly fair, but considered the fights Nightshade was used to in the arena, she was giving the human a pretty candid chance of winning.

Nightshade scowled, having mixed feelings about this.

On one hand it would be easy to get the woman out of her way, she was good, but not _arena_ good. Danny would possible be devastated – _if_ – he was turned back too normal.

But on the other hand, he was the same thing that held her back from just slashing the huntress throat and call it a day. She had promised him not to kill anymore and especially not humans. She may be a ghost scum of the Cube, but even she had some decency to keep an honest word to a child.

She caught a glimpse of him over her opponent’s shoulder. Danny was wriggling and struggling to get down on the floor – even if his mind was the one of a small child, it was clear that he still had some kind of memory and his seventeen-year-old moral left somewhere in there.

His intentions were clear as snow, he wanted to stop her.

She sighed. Maybe he would forgive her one day.

She kicked the weapon out of Maddie’s hands and an invisible shade sent a ecto-blast straight to her head. The woman collapsed where she had landed and Nightshade towered over her with dead black eyes.

She bowed down to finish the job ones and for all and claim her right as the mother figure of the child named Daniel James Fenton. (She may or may not had snooped around and found his library card amongst other things in his purse. That kid was defiantly not photogenic.)

She lifter her flaring hand and felt eyes on her back, turned her head to Danny and the shade with a scowl, “do you _mind?_ He’s a baby, we can’t let him see this, it would traumatize him. Turn around or something _for helvede!_ **”

The shade grinned in reply, but turned around as ordered and covered Danny’s eyes and ears. Nightshade turned back to her prey and found a barrel end of a loaded ghost gun an inch from her face.

“Get off my wife, darn spook!”

The explosive blast sent her to the other end of the hall and made her take several stalls and silly inventions with her. The wall was left with a huge dent and she felt how her spine broke and started to heal again as she slid down the wall.

The healing took longer than normal and she blacked out for a minute or two, before she finally regained conscious and felt the ability to move her body again, along with her face.

She crawled out of the heap of broken stalls and metal, with an angered expression and teleported back to Danny, only to discover that he was gone. Her shade had been shredded by the bright explosion light and the hunter couple was nowhere to be found.

How long had she been out? 

_“Arianna! You there?”_

She had all forgot about the headphones and turned them on, “I found the Fentons, but they disappeared – where are you two!?”

_“At the entrance – we saw them run for the RV – and they got Danny!”_

_“Guys! What if they recognize him!?”_

“You two follow them, I have to get these ghost hunters of my back first – I find you.”

They wanted to protest, but she turned off the phones and stood with lifted head. Several loaded guns were pointing at her and she was seriously not in the mood. Several invisible shades separated from her form in a split second and overshadowed the hunters.

Nightshade turned to them, now that they were a lot more docile and caged in their bodies. Their eyes widened in panic and anger. She returned their gazes, pissed to the core. No funny Nightshade today.

“You filthy hunters should consider yourself lucky I don’t have time for this – that and a little promise I made to a sweet child of mine, not to hurt any people. But,” she stated, walking for the entrance, “he didn’t say anything about saving people. I guess you hunters have fun then – bye!”

She phased out of the convention halls, as the enormous green foam ghost made its entrée. None of the ghost hunters could move and watch with silent screams in their minds, as the mutated ghost flashed its several rows of canines and started its meal.

-

Tucker and Sam both jumped into the Cadillac and started the pursuit after their friend and his parents. If Jack had drivin to the convention like a maniac, it was nothing compared the wild ride produced by the urge to escape the wrath of an angry ghost mother.

They both gasped as the car suddenly started to float and shot forward over the road like a rocket.

“How the!?” Sam yelled and look over the car’s side. A bunch of black shades greeted her with their signature hisses and lifted the car higher, while picking up speed. Their leader teleported into the front seat and clenched her teeth, “I’M GOING TO BREAK THAT WOMANS NECK!”

Sam and Tucker shared a worried look and Nightshade seemed to return to her senses, “uhmm, sorry. You’re right. I’M GOING TO BREAK HER OTHER LEG!”

“Better, but still a no,” Sam replied and tried to spy the ghost RV down on the main road, “why did they take Danny anyway? And where are they going?”

-

“Why did we take him anyway and where are we going?” Jack asked his wife in confusion and took the turn she pointed to.

“Oh, Jack. We couldn’t just leave this poor child in that danger zone, now could we? Besides, that ghost clearly has a sick obsession with him and he will be much safer with us, than any police station, until we eliminated the ghost-woman. Take the next turn, dear. And I like you to take us to that space station. Danny and his friends is in danger! If that ghost has followed us here, it will surely go after them next.”

She tickled the little boy on her lap and rummaged through one of the RV’s storage depots and found a big nursing bag. Jack gave her a glance, “where did you get that?”

“Now, now, Jack. A mother should always be prepared – and I have had this one ready in case Jazz comes home and tells she pregnant, or Danny knock up one of his girlfriends.”

“Predictive and scary,” her husband whispered and smiled by the sight of the giggling baby Maddie cuddled in her lap.

She hugged the toddler close, “aww, Jack doesn’t he just reminds you of someone?”

“The president?”

“No, Danny of course!”

Both of them sighed in sweet memory and didn’t see the child turn invisible for a second. Danny watched them with interest. His mommy had disappeared out of sight, but this woman was clearly also his mommy.

He had two now?

He supposed two mommies was better than one and just to make it better, he now had a daddy to. More playmates!

The arrived at the station in a cloud of dust and made several people run screaming for cover. They ran to search for the teens, as Sam parked her car a little behind them – or landed it – and jumped out and down to land on the dusty ground.

“Where did they go?” Sam asked, searching for any blue or orange hazmat suits in the tourist crowed, but for once, the couple didn’t stand out, as several people wore colorful shirts and dresses in the heat.

Nightshade changed to her glamor and ran to the Fenton RV, with the others right behind her. They found the ghost descender and Tucker looked it over, “okay, looks like the descender’s alright. We can just set it to reverse and aging if I just…” he pushed the trigger and a wave hit Arianna.

“Tucker!” Sam yelled and ripped the invention from his hands. A sneeze made them bother look down, where a little three-year-old girl now stood in the halfa’s place. The little girl looked around, clearly confused, if not worried.

“Uhmm, I think I just descended her 16 years again.”

You _think!?_ ” Sam roared.

“Jeg vil have min far***,” the little girl whined. She looked around skittishly and fidget in a shy manner.

“Perfect,” Sam sneered, “Danny can’t talk and now we have a kid who only speaks Danish! What’s next!?”

They both jumped as a red car parked next to them and Jazz stepped out. The redhead smiled at them, but then turned confused when she didn’t spot her little brother.

“Sam? Tucker? Where’s Danny? And who is she?” Both teens tried to come up with some simple explanation, when the three-year-old took the descender and ran off, “far! Hvor er du!?****”

“Ahh crap!” Sam shrieked and ran after her. Tucker gave Jazz the fast story while they persecuted the little girl in the pink dress, that was teen sizes too big for her and ended up next to no other than the Fenton couple.

The little girl’s run had come to a halt by the sight of Jack Fenton and she tilted her head in thought. She inspected him with some sepsis, but then hugged his leg, “far!*****”

“Where’s all these children coming from?” Jack asked utterly confused and the teens stopped as they reached the couple.

“Mom! Dad! Hey!” Jazz greeted perplex, if not high pitched and tried to get the little girl away from her father, “what’re you guys doing here? I thought you were at the convention?”

While the grownups and not so grownup talked, the little girl was lifted up by Jack and found herself face to face with a little boy next to her in the arms of a woman.

They both looked at each other before coming to the telepathic understanding, that only children seem to possesses, that they both wanted to play and now had found a more or less equal aged playmate.

Danny reached for the funny looking toy in her hands and Arianna, who was old enough to know she would get in trouble if she didn’t share with the other kids, handed him the other end to hold it along with her.

There was a great amount of shiny looking buttons on this thingy and they tried press them all.

Jack Fenton got a bad feeling and looked down to find his invention between the hands of the two children, “what the?”

A huge wave spread them in all directions and send them all on their backs. The Fentons had received the worst hit and laid unconscious, while the halfa’s groans and coughs could be heard from within in the center of the dust cloud.

Sam coughed drily and waved to get the cloud to spread and go away. She tensed as a grown man in a ripped baby jumpsuit rose from the dust and grabbed his head in confusion, “what happened?”

Sam felt her eyes widened, “Danny?”

He looked up and pushed the hair out of his face. Sam felt like someone had hit her with a sledgehammer. Danny looked exactly like his evil older future self, just less muscular and more human. Even his voice was a deep baritone and the hair long enough to be tied up in a ponytail.

“Nope,” she stated toneless and grabbed the ghost-descender next to her. Danny blinked in panic as the new wave hit him full speed and a lankier teenager took his place.

Sam deadpanned, “now he's fourteen again!”

A new coughing made its entree and Arianna sat up besides Danny and looked as if she was going to vomit. The much younger Arianna looked thinner, less matured and had braces and thicker glasses, that made her look extremely nerdy.

Tucker screamed in horror next to Sam and snatched the descender. Both halfas cried out in protest, but was hit by a new wave despite their pleas. The stunned, but normal Arianna reappeared and child Danny returned with a wail.

“We have to hit them separately!” Sam yelled to outshot the crying toddler and got Jazz and Tucker on their feet. Maddie and Jack was still unconscious, knocked out by the first huge wave and the three teens stepped over them to get to the halfas, without waking them up.

“Okay, get Arianna over there and out of the wave range, while I get Danny back to his own self.”

The two halfas got separated and Sam pointed the machine at child Danny and guessed him to be around two or something. The wave made him normal, but just for precaution, she gave him an extra year.

“Would you stop that!” he yelled in his normal voice and took the machine from her. Sam sighed in relief, “you’re back” and hugged him. Danny was still confused, but a hug from your crush was too good an opportunity to pass – angry or not – and hugged her back.

Her hair smelled dusty, but nice and he hugged her a little closer.

“Umm, Danny?”

“What?” he whispered in bliss.

“You’re naked.”

He looked down at himself and felt his cheeks burn. Arianna handed him a bundle of his own clothes from a very convenient nursing bag.

“A mother is always prepared,” she said cheery and Danny made himself invisible in order to change freely. Arianna was already missing the toddler, but guessed it was nice to have teen Danny back and straightened her dress.

She suddenly got a bad feeling and turned around to find Tucker with the loaded descender behind her back.

“Tucker!” Jazz sneered and took it from him.

“But she’s old again,” the geek pouted. The females ignored him.

-

The ride home was kept in silence until the point where the two hunters woke up a kilometer away from Amity Park. Maddie found herself lying on one of the Fenton RV-airbeds and looked around.

“What happened?” she asked with a headache building up, “and where’s the children!?”

Jazz turned from her spot in the front seat of the RV, “oh them? We found their parents and placed you two in the RV – we’re almost home by the way. Danny and the others are right behind us in Sam’s and my car.”

Jack soon followed his wife out of dreamland and they shared a bottle of water and some painkillers from the nursing bag. Too tired to ask their daughter anymore questions.

All the cars arrived at the Fenton Works at the down of nightfall and everyone felt spend. Arianna had turned invisible and followed them to the door. The Fenton couple was busy unpacking the RV and she mingled with the teens. Sam placed a hand on Danny’s shoulder.

“I’m sorry you didn’t get the birthday you hoped for Danny,” Sam said down, but Danny just smiled, “nah its fine. We can always try again next year – but right now I just want some food and sleep this crazy day of.”

His parents walked up to them and Danny placed the keys in the door and stepped inside. They all jumped in shock as a confetti machine doused them with colorful paper and sparkles.

“Happy seventeenth birthday!” Jazz cheered from behind them and pushed them inside to see a table with a birthday cake and drinks.

“What?” Danny said confused and got a hug from his sister, “I heard mom and dad had to leave you on your birthday and wanted to helped them make up for it, so I made surprise and drove to get you all at the space station, like me and mom planned.”

Danny didn’t know what to say and Tucker, Sam and the invisible Arianna pushed the envelope with money down his hand.

Tucker smiled, “you didn’t get to spend it, so we though you could use the money for a motorcycle license instead.”

Danny took the envelope with wide eyes, clearly baffled, “how did ya guys know I always wanted to drive a motorcycle?”

Sam smiled with what she hoped was an innocent glee, “oh, just a stupid hunch,” she said and hid the crayon drawing of Phantom as the Ghost rider behind her back.

“Who want’s cake?” Jazz asked with a smile and pushed them to the table. They all cheered as Danny blew out the seventeen lit candles, made an unspoken whish and cut the first piece.

The rest of the evening went quietly and Danny would call it a success. His parents were clearly down right tired and he end up sending them to bed himself, when they denied their exhaustion for the fifth time.

Arianna let her invisibility go and served him a plate with the last piece of cake on the couch, later that night, as Jazz had gone to bed and the teens had called it a day. Danny didn’t feel like going to sleep right away and turned on the TV for them watch, as they ate the last of his birthday cake.

They had worked their way into a program about badgers in the wild, when the news interrupted and Tiffanie Snow greeted them with a grave face and pushed her red hair behind her ear.

_“We apologize for interrupting with this newscast, where we send live from the crime scene of Florida. Another international ghost attack occurred this Monday around noon, at the annual ghost-hunter convention two miles from the space station. We go to our reporter on the spot, Lance Thunder,_ ” she finished and the screen turned to the blond handsome journalist, who had the convention hall behind him.

Several ambulances blinking and wailing with blue and red lights.

Arianna cleared her voice nervously, “so, Danny…how much do you remember of today?”

“Not much, why?” he asked, eyes following the news intensely. More than one gurney with nonmoving content in the sealed body bags, were carried to the waiting doctors and paramedics and out of the cameras sight.

An injured ghost hunter stole the mic from Thunder and started yelling about a three-eyed ghostress, before the reporter reconquered the mic and continued his newscast as if it had never happened. Danny turned to Arianna, who just smiled as nothing. Her eyes meet his without giving anything away, “what?”

Danny gave her a stern look, “is there something you want to tell me?”

She just smiled and padded him gentle, before steeling the remote and turning of the TV.

“Uhmm…yes! – happy birthday, Danny! Your official a seventeen!”

Danny allowed the newscast to slide for now and smiled content, but then frowned, “then why do I feel like I’m eighteen?”

-

Vlad Masters smiled as he watched the sweet scene on his screen. He was glad he hadn’t interfered and trusted his instinct. Getting those spy-bugs to follow them all the way to Florida had been worth it and saved him many risks.

Vlad watched Daniel and his behavior with a satisfied nod.

Their relationship had made the turns Vlad had expected it to.

The boys natural care and protectiveness caused him to forgive Nightshade for actions he would normally have judged others for without thinking twice. Vlad had studied Danny social behaviorism for some time in order to find the right approach to the boy's friendship and finally found it.

The boy had an almost naive weakness when it came to women and was purely ruled by his emotions. Not the sexual or dominant form one often found in young men, but Danny had always had a soft spot when it came to the females close to him.

Daniel sought women when he was vulnerable and when the boy was most down, he would often turn to a woman's embrace, either in form of his sister, Jasmine, Samantha Manson, or his mother Maddie.

Although Daniel lied and often gave his mother the cold shoulder, it was more often her rather than his father, he showed his childish side to and needed care from. Sorrows and worries from the boy's side, ended up more often with his female acquaintances, than males.

Although Mr. Foley was his best friend in theory, Daniel went more frequently to Miss. Manson when he needed help or a friendly advice. Daniel’s heroe-complex had perhaps died down over the years, but he would always seek to protect the weak and in Daniel's world, that seemed be women, whether they needed his protection or not.

Nightshade was perhaps no love interest in the boy's eyes, but she certainly filled a hole where his own mother would have been, if it had not been for his ghost secret and doubts of acceptance.

He was ready to forgive her almost anything, merely because she was a woman he cared for and that made her the link Vlad had been missing to the boy. If first Daniel began to tolerate Nightshade’s darker tendencies, he would be more likely to tolerate Vlad’s and see him in a different light.

Vlad had hoped he could be the connection between them alone, but it seems that a woman between them, would be necessary if not unquestionable.

Once the female hybrid stood by Vlad's side, Daniel would have no choice but to come to them and eventually Daniel would soon forget about his dislike for Vlad. It was only a matter of tranquil habituation.

Nightshade stroked Daniel as a child and it pleased Vlad to see the relationship had worked both ways. She had already begun to form a motherly bond to the boy, which should prove to be a major part of those hopes he had planned for her.

Vlad changed the screens to the one of his security camera and as he expected, one of his duplicates was working on a project in the secret lap facility. The large glass cylinder was put into place and hooked up with its electronics. It would all soon be ready.

And part three of his plane could begin.

* * *

*** Ahh crap/ahh shit**

**** God dammit!**

***** I want my dad**

****** dad! Where are you!?**

******* Dad!**


	26. Surprise, bitch. I bet you thought you'd seen the last of me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey party people!!!  
> Can't believe people is still reading this, but since you do - have a hug! *hugs you*  
> Hope you enjoy, comments are always appreciated =)
> 
> * * *

Danny enjoyed the summer sun in his ghost form and let the ghost dog Cujo run after his ball. Nightshade floated beside him and gave the park a critical look.

“I don’t get this town at all. It’s like it’s one of those paranormal hot spots they always talk about in movies and cheap sitcoms. This place is more haunted, than a haunted house at the carnival.”

Danny turned to her, “whatzya mean? This place is pretty normal, If you ask me.”

She gave him a ‘are you for real?’ look.

“Normal? Just look at your school – _Casper_ High? The name of one of the most popular specters in all pop-culture history? The only thing normal here is the name of your sports team. _The Ravens_. Had it been _The Crows_ , it would had been a team of ‘Murders’. Now they just a group of ‘Unkindness’. And what’s with all that prepared meat in the school basement? I even found a locker that’s practical a shrine dedicated to Phantom and another one for that latino chick, Paulina. It’s so disturbing, both even had lighted candles – in a locker! That’s a total fire hazard!”

“Who knows, it could just be a coincidence,” Danny replied and laughed as Cujo jumped into his arms. Danny threw the ball again and the ghost dog pursued it with glee. Nightshade shook her head at him in disbelieve.

“I tell you, this city is built on some old Indian graveyard or some shit. I mean, _seriously?_ Just outside of school, there is a creepy abandoned hospital on the edge of town and a haunted villa on 917 Maple Street. Even the towns museum is hunted by an old Egyptian curse! You people have a prison slash penitentiary, that is run by the governments secret ghost hunter division, the Guys In White. They are not even trying to hide it! Axion lab is making ghost proof security systems and even weapons. There’s cars with license plates with silly slogans like; _Boo 2 U_ and everything in your house has either the shape or name after your father! Your house has a torture cellar! _A torture cellar_ , Danny! And if that’s not crazy enough, this town isn’t even on the American map! You’re too much of a small backwater town to have all this stuff in one place! Your town documents ghost in the news every single day, but the rest of the world just ignores you! And Amity Park is even a cheap rip-off name of one of America’s most hunted towns, Amityville. You’re not even trying to hid you’re a real freaking ghost town. What is this place!? Why do people still _live_ here!?”

Danny shrugged and took the salvia coated ball from Cujo, “it’s cheap?”

She dragged a hand down her face, “of course it is. It has to be with all those crashing buildings every second month. Not to mention the road repairing and school and lap property that gets damaged every day. What is the towns death rate again?”

Cujo grabbed her long coat and tried getting her to play with him. She phased out of his grip and tried getting the salvia of her improvised cape, “ew!”

Danny scratched Cujo behind the ears to make him small again and hid a grin, “not much for dogs?”

“I’m a cat person,” she replied simply and made sure her hairstyle was intact.

Danny snorted, “so is the fruitloop.”

“Who?”

“Erhhh, forget it – hey, I think we have faked that detention long enough, shouldn’t we go find the others or something?” he asked to make up for his obviously change of subject. She rolled her three eyes and found her iPhone.

“Well according to this schedule that Tucker gave me, in case I need to find you guys, it says that they are having a makeout session.”

Danny turned around in horror, “what!?”

She cracked a laughter, “sorry I’m just messing with you – they are having detention, which is pretty much the same in Denmark.”

Danny chuckled to cover up his semi heart attack and felt his nerves relax. He left a duplicate to follow Cujo back to the ghost zone and took off with the other halfa. She watched him as they flew back to the school and hid behind one of the containers to change back to their human and glamor form.

“Seriously, Danny. If you like her that much, why don’t you just tell her?”

Danny felt a minor heart attack for the second time that hour and jumped to his defenses immediately, “what? _Who?_ I don’t know what you’re talking about! I –”

“Oh for the love of god,” she whispered and pointed to his pocket, “Danny I know about the ring.”

Danny reached for the class-ring and started to sweat like a sinner in church, “how?”

“I have washed your clothes for months now, you should really try empty your pockets, before throwing it in the laundry basket – So unless that ring is for junior grade student Wes Weston, I’m just guessing it’s for that little pretty goth of yours.”

“Ahh man,” Danny groaned and took the lead though the crowded hallway of Casper High, “it’s not like that…my father gave it to me some years ago, ‘cause he thought I was dating Sam, when I was really going out with Valerie Grey.”

“The red huntress that shot after me? She’s pretty hot, nice score,” she replied and Danny snorted, “yeah, but it didn’t last long. I’ve kept the ring, but I don’t even know if…”

He didn’t know how to continue and she tried helping him, “you’re afraid you ruining your friendship and maybe she doesn’t feel the same way?”

He just nodded and she patted him comforting on the shoulder, “Danny, if there something I have learned through high school and college, it’s that if you have been friends before a relationship, you can always go back again.”

“Really?”

“Sure, I used to live in a dorm, where everyone was having relationships with each other crisscrossing down the hallway. We all shared the same kitchen and had parties together every week. When people broke up, they would still hang out together in that kitchen and still be friends afterwards. Life is pretty simple, if you don’t make it complicated for yourself. Just tell her how you feel and if she doesn’t feel the same way, you can still hang out together.”

“It’s not that simple,” he sighed. I sounded easy in theory, but Danny wasn’t sure he could take a rejection from Sam. It was better to kept it to himself and don’t ruining anything. Better living with the uncertainty than a crushed heart.

Arianna grunted and led them to Mr. Lancers classroom.

“But do you like her?”

“Do you promise not to tell this to anyone?” he asked anxious and she made a sipper move over her mouth and stuck her hands into her dress suit pockets. Danny sighed, “I do,” he said, “I love Sam more than anything.”

She smiled pleased and opened the door. Gaining the attention of Mr. Lancer and the rest of the detention class.

“Hello, Mr. Lancer. I’m afraid I will have to borrow both Mr. Foley and Miss. Manson here,” she said sweetly and got a glare from the teacher, “and I’m afraid they still have a detention and can wait, Miss. Shade. This is the fifth time you tried taking them away from their punishment this month and I don’t appreciate it.”

Arianna’s fake smile got a bit wider and Lancer jumped in his chair and widened his eyes, as they flashed solid black, “…but if you insist, I let them go and give them the high grades they deserve!”

Tucker and Sam high-fived and left the classroom, while Lancer shook his head in confusion, “ _The tale of two cities!_ Why do I keep doing that!?”

They left the classroom behind and the shade merged back into its halfa, “do that man ever run out of book titles? I give a beer when he gets short on classics and says; _The saga of Twilight._ ”

They all laughed as the moved down the hallway and the teens stopped to visit their lockers and end the day. Danny turned to open his locker and switched his books, “I can’t believe it’s almost summer. You guys have any plans?”

Sam leaned up against the rows of lockers, eyes shining with glee, “I was hoping one of you could overshadow my parents to let me make my own plans, before they come up with something painful, like a family vacation or something – but I haven’t figured out what I want with my summer. How about you, Tuck?”

“Go to Floody Waters water skate park?” he suggested, “its bikini season and me and my sweet new camera got some duty to do. We have to document the girls of Amity Park and make a new photo session for this year’s selection of beauties in the sun.”

He wriggled his eyebrows and Danny looked though last year’s photo hunt on his PDA, “nice work, man. Can I have a copy of that Paulina shot?”

Both Arianna and Sam groaned. The topic of speech turned down the hallway a second after and made both boys stare in daze. Paulina smiled in the shower of attention she received from the school male population and opened her locker.

Arianna deadpanned when the latino lid the candles for her ghostly love obsession and sighed in love sick expression. The female halfa took one of the hallway’s trashcans and put up a resolutely face, “it’s still a fire hazard – excuse me, I have to destroy that creepy shine.”

The goth smiled in content and turned to the boys, as the sweet sound of Paulina’s cry of protest sounded in her ears, “the water park sound fun, but how about we actually do something productive this year?”

“Like what?” they asked and she picked out one of the posters one the schools wall boards, “I don’t know, we could make an event? Go one a travel for scientific purpose or actually start that pirate radio station we made years ago.”

“I don’t know, Sam, every time we make plans for the summer, something spooky gets involved,” Tucker said tiredly, “remember when we wanted to go on that road trip and Freakshow decided to rule the world? It ended in a hunt for our parent’s life and we raced against the Guys in white – or what about the year after? We should have back out when the brochures stated _‘Camp skull and crossbones’_. That lake camp was a totally bummer – and not even pirate themed!”

Danny scratched his neck in thought, “maybe Tucker’s right. What about we just go to the beach and lay low for ones?”

“Hey! Look – the losers are making plans for summer,” Dash said mockingly and leaned on Danny’s locker, preventing him from getting his stuff.

“What do you want now, Dash?” The blond jerk was starting to get one his nerves and getting a little too close.

“Nothing with you, Fen _tonia_ , but you losers have some nerves to show of your little special classes with the new teacher like that. I head you three skipped the whole first period, was excused from gym and eats straight from the teacher’s private buffet. So what’s your secret, huh?” he asked angry and grabbed Danny’s shirt, “special payment? Blackmail? She’s Foley’s aunt or something?”

“Lay it off, Dash!” Sam interfered and the quarterback smirked, “getting help from your girlfriend now? You blackmailed her to?”

A manicured hand decorated with pink nail polish settled on Dash’s red varsity jacked. Mrs. Shade leaned in with cold hazel eyes and icy voice, “Mr. Baxter, _must_ I ask you of what you think you’re doing?”

The blond gulped and let go of Danny, “uhmm, friendly persuasion?”

She lifted an eyebrow, not impressed “tell me again why I shouldn’t give you a detention, Mr. Baxter?”

“Uhmm, I’m the school’s football star?” he retorted with a small voice and Arianna rolled her eyes.

“Okay one: I don’t care if you’re the next super bowl star, you can’t treat your fellow classmate like that, and two: I’m a European. You’re an _American_ -football star. Real football is done in Europe.

“I think you mean _soccer?_ ” one of the other team member replied smart-mouthed and got a stern look from the history teacher.

“I think Europe have the jury’s right to call our sport by foot, since we are the ones who actually never picks up the ball in game – now, there’s a special assembly in the school’s auditorium for your class to attend in five minutes, so I say you teens get going – and Mr. Baxter, I see you after school. I saw you push those freshmen into a locker and now I have three students with claustrophobia and whiplash at the nurse office.”

She led Dash down to the principal’s office, while the group of spectators returned to their own doings and Paulina locked her now empty locker, “what a bummer, this teacher sucks!”

Sam gave her a nasty look as the popular girl walked with the rest of the class to assembly and slammed her own locker, “what I wouldn’t do to get to push her of some cliff.”

Arianna head returned though one of the lockers and followed her gaze, “that girl is kind of a bitch, you want me to kill her?”

“Yes,” Sam chimed.

“NO!” Tucker and Danny exclaimed.

“Oh come on! I make it look like an accident…” Arianna said and got a look from Danny, “can I at least break something? No?”

She pouted but lighted up, “anyway I came back to tell you slackers that this assembly at the auditorium isn’t voluntary, and if you ask me your really want be there this time – the principal has an exciting announcement.”

She phased back into the locker and the teens shared a look, “an exciting announcement?”

The rest of the class was already waiting for them and Dash, Star, Kwan and Paulina gave them mean looks. Arianna closed the door after them and walked back to the front of the class, where Mr. Lancer, Principal Ishiyama and the vice mayor of Amity Park was talking in private.

They all turned to the students with bright smiles as the light lowered in volume and an overhead kicked to live on the auditoriums head screen.

The Asian-American principal cleared her throat authoritarian and got the class attention, “ahem, students it is with great pleasure and surprise that I can inform you that we have been selected through a major nationwide competition and won an all payed ship cruise, that will visit all the greatest of European ports this summer vacation.”

A huge picture of a cruise ship popped up on the screen and a quick montage of different sunny vacation destinations followed one by one.

An exited murmur spread down through the rows and Danny turned to the others, "how cool is that!? It seems like we don’t need to make plans for the holidays after all."

Tucker gave him a high five and the two boys danced in their seats, but Sam wasn’t so sure, “um, guys doesn’t this seem a little too good to be true?”

They ignored her and shushed as the grownups continued.

Mr. Lancer made them all silent with a smile and continued, “as the class teacher I will be escorting you though this three-month trip and as our history teacher and very own European, Miss. Shade will be going as well. As I said it is all paid and all you need is to get an agreement signed on paper from your parents and you are free to go.”

Danny smiled to Arianna and she waved discreetly, “ah, come on Sam – look! Arianna’s coming to, how suspicious can it possible be?”

Sam rolled her eyes, “oh, I don’t know. Last time we heard about an invitation to a ship cruse, it turned out to be a haunted pirate ship with lousy hypnotic music – and worse it was a slow rip-off from an old single.”

Danny thought back on the Youngblood and Ember incident, but pushed it away, too worked up about the thought of payed vacation.

“You’re being paranoid. Do you really think that some ghost would make all this up, just to _hit_ me?”

“And a little info about the completion we won,” the principal said and made the vice major step forward.

The almost bald and mouse looking man gave them a great white smile, “yes thank you, I think we can all thank this exciting opportunity to the completion’s sponsor and its company’s CEO, and our beloved major, Vlad Masters.”

Vlad’s Pompous persona popped up on the screen and his picture watched them with the smile of a winner. Arianna clapped along with the others as the auditorium made excited applause to the none present billionaire.

Danny lost his jaw and Sam smiled in grim satisfaction, “I don’t know, Danny, do _you?_ ”

-

Danny had expected it, but also hoped he would be proven wrong. When he stepped out of the school’s main entrance a black limousine waited at the sidewalk and even with the toned screens, Danny knew the man inside was watching his every move.

“You guys just continue without me,” Danny said darkly and felt a hand on his shoulder.

“You sure?” Tucker asked concerned and Sam gave him a worried look.

“I’m sure,” he replied and walked alone to the sleek vehicle. He opened the door with more force than necessary and meet the calm persona of Vlad Masters. He smirked by the sight of Danny’s scowl, “take a seat, Daniel.”

Vlad watch him as he moved into the seats and made daggers with his eyes. The older gentleman made a gesture to the minibar and Danny crossed his arms. Not playing along.

“Hmm, you have a charming way of welcoming people back, my boy.”

Danny felt his last chill fade away and grabbed the older man’s expensive suit collar, “what the fuck are you doing!? The deal was a year! That’s six months from now! We made a truce that you would leave me alone with her for a year! How's this leaving us alone!?”

“Language, Daniel, but it nice to see that your extra math classes have paid off. You can actually count the months now,” Vlad chuckled and pushed Danny back to his seat without much effort.

Danny wouldn’t give the man the satisfaction and show that it had hurt like a bitch, and ignored his chest pain, “and turns out you can’t – so get lost, fruitloop!”

“Now, now, little badger. The deal stated that I left our little hybrid alone for a whole year – leaving you alone, weren’t mention, now was it?”

Danny stared at him in disbelieve, was that really his best excuse?

“You got to be fucking kidding me – you can’t change your word like that! We had a deal!” he sneered and hated the man for his calm smile and jeering laughter, “oh, Daniel. If I had a dollar for every time someone said those words to me, I wouldn’t be one of the worlds few billionaire, but the world’s first _trillionaire_.”

He removed a fake tear from the corner of his eye and collected himself, “but don’t worry, deals can be altered and filled with loopholes, but they can also be changed for the better – but before we continue this little negotiation and friendly reunion, I need some insight. What did you tell our little hybrid friend about me, hmm?”

Danny felt like strangling the untruthful bastard, but thought better of it. Vlad was perhaps a liar (screw it – the man was a liar by profession) and vermin, but Danny had long since learned that if you wanted to get anywhere productive with the man in the long run, it was through peaceful negotiation and not fist fight.

“I told her you’re my dad’s old college buddy and friend of the family. She knew from our first fight in the lab, that you know about my secret, but she doesn’t know what you are,” the teen spit and watched as the half-ghost collected his fingertips.

“Well done, Daniel. You’re an excellent liar when you want to. A perfect reminder of the fact that you become more like me every second.”

Danny growled, “keep dreaming, fruitloop. If I’d told her the truth, she would’ve be pressing her stiletto into your eye sock by now.”

Vlad furrowed his eyebrows, clearly not liking being threatened. Normally the man would take no notice of Danny threading to hurt him, clearly not fearing the younger halfa the least, but the threat of the female halfas wrath had more severity to it. A lot more severity. Danny imagined the possible fight for a second and bit his lip.

He had no idea of the outcome and by the looks of Vlad, neither had he.

Vlad shook of his annoyance and leaned forward, “very well, with that out of the way, let’s talk business. I have already talked with your parents and made the preparations. You’re going on this trip Daniel and you will not prevent it or squeal to our hybrid about this conversation.”

“And what if I do just _that?_ ” Danny asked challenging, “you gonna tell my secret to my parents? You know where this goes, Plasmius. I take you down in the fall.”

“True,” Vlad drawled and served himself a glass of wine, “but let’s be reasonable, Daniel. You’re seventeen now, correct? And had your powers for three years. Three years where you had all the chances in the world to revealed yourself to your parents and if I remember correct from our little visit at the tower of time, you have even seen outcome where you exposed your ghost side to your parents in alternative timelines. And still, you haven’t told them. Why is _that?_ ”

Danny looked down. True, he had been in other timelines and even times where he had showed his ghost side to his parents and gotten their acceptance.

Those timelines were now altered or destroyed and his parent’s memory erased, but Danny’s memory and knowledge was still his own and he knew his parents would accept him no matter what…but still. Why hadn’t he?

“I'll tell you why,” Vlad finally said with fangs in his smile, “at those times, your parents had been given time to reflect on their newfound knowledge and space to think rational, because your life was in danger or their own. Making them chose out of raw emotions on the spot or reflection in your absences. Telling them now after all these years would both be hurtful and judgmental of their trust. discoverer that their own son was their very mortal enemy all along, would maybe making them jump to dangerous conclusion the second after the reveal and maybe, _maybe_ – just this time, they wouldn’t make the right choice. At least not for you, my boy.”

Danny felt his palms shaking and had to collected all his self-control, not to turn ghost and jump the man. The truth he had felt like a weight on his shoulder for so long, was sharp as a knife coming from his archenemy’s silver tongue.

Vlad emptied his glass and leaned back in smock content, “don’t be so glum. My offer still stands, if all that secretive lifestyle will ever get out of hand. You just have to say yes, Daniel.”

 _“Screw yourself,_ ” Danny whispered and the older man sighed.

“I see, still as stubborn as that oaf of your father. But that’s not what were here to talk about, now is it?”

Danny scowled and meet the midnight blue eyes with burning hatred, “what do you want?”

“Just the two of you enjoying yourself on this trip. I like to have a vacation with you and let the two of you have some fun in the sun and beauty of Europe – think you can do that, little badger?”

Danny shook his head in sheer dead tired confusion, “the deal was that you left us alone – that the two of you didn’t get to meet!”

“And maybe we won’t,” Vlad replied playfully, “it’s a big ship, my boy and meeting between each end of the hull would be highly unlikely.”

Danny felt a little spark of hope and Vlad’s driver opened the door for him, “but there’s always the chance of course – I see you in a week. And don’t be late this time.”

Danny sneered and left the limousine, leaving Vlad to his victory and thoughts. Vlad knew he was running a huge risk with this little project, but it had to be done. If both Daniel and Arianna passed his test the rest of his plan would go smoothly.

Getting them out for the summer was both convenient and for Vlad’s own sake. Protecting the Fenton portal for over a half a year, had taken a number on his strength and with the Fentons out of the house and his two hybrids far away on the sea, he could leave the portal and its ghost besieges.

The Cube hadn’t abandoned the hope of revenge on Danny Phantom or Plasmius and certainly not the chance of getting their property back, but it had cooled down with the months. That pleased Vlad.

When he returned home, he could remove the half of the opposites pieces from his chessboard.

The white queen and runner were still standing side by side in alliance and strong as ever.

The black king opposing them on the opposite half of the board.

For now, that is.


	27. Tonight we will enjoy only the finest of tastes and only the snootiest of laughter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!  
> another chapter for my favorite people in the world - hope you like and leave a comment if you feel like it
> 
> * * *

The cruise ship was everything it had promised.

Big, expensive looking, at least ten visible decks, reeking of American money and of course – a ship. Its large shadow towered over the class of Casper High and Danny felt dreadful.

On the brochure that Tucker held in his hand, the name of the ship was written in soft cursives as; _‘HMS. Badger of the sea’_.

“Ahh man,” Danny groaned and covered his face. What was Vlad’s problem!?

“Cute and creepy,” Sam said in mocking sympathy and took the brochure. She was still smock about being right about this being a scheme and Danny hated it.

“Okay, there’s twenty different decks on this thing, it has the latest modern comfort, an open deck with concert theater and – oh, Dumpty Humpty is playing.”

Danny pecked up a second, but glommed again as he spotted a limo a couple of parking lots down the harbor.

Sam continued her rant, “there a swimming pool…in a swimming pool…in another swimming pool? That’s a lot of waste water – oh, and there a mall ranging a kilometer and a twenty-four-hour casino, with an age limit of sixteen. Seems we free to go there. This ship has a classic theater, a minigolf lane, go-card facilities, a fitness center, spa and roman bath, five-star restaurant, nightclub with live music and a lounge.”

Sam tilted her head and raised an eyebrow, “plus there’s a star observatory on a hanging capsule placed on a crane on top of the ship – Vlad’s really playing the trump cards here on you. You wanna buy his offer now, _major pupil?”_

“He can’t buy me,” Danny sneered and threw the brochure on the ground, stumping on it while imagine it was Vlad's face, “he can take all this and shove it up his -”

“- all paid summer vacation! Isn’t this exciting!”

Arianna startled them with shining eyes and pulled them in for a tight hug, “I still can’t believe I’m going to see Europe again! The last port is even German – that just one border from Denmark! I get to see my homeland again! Isn’t it amazing!?”

“Yeah, we’re so excited,” Sam retorted with a sarcastic smirk, but it was lost on the older woman, who jumped in excitement, “and guess what! Jazz is coming to.”

They all turned to the honk of the Fenton RV, where Jazz was getting her luggage, “hey Danny!”

Danny waved and run over to his family. Jack and Maddie pecked out of the front seats and waved their coconuts with straw and little umbrellas.

“Good trip you two, your father and I will call you from Hawaii,” his mother chimed and Jack smiled bright, “you two have fun and make a good impression for V-man! He’d paid our vacations, so he must be warming up to me again! Bonsai!”

“See you two! Have a good trip!”

Danny and Jazz coughed as the RV left a dust cloud behind and Danny helped his sister carrying her bags, “Jazz, this is bad, we have to make sure Arianna doesn’t get close to Vlad – for three months!”

Danny still wasn’t sure what his nemesis wanted from the other halfa, but it couldn’t be anything good. Danny had never taken Vlad for the patient type, but this unknown master plan of his had made a span over six months now, which indicates that something bigger was at risk this time.

But how did Arianna fit in that plan of his?

Jazz threw her luggage on one of the moving trucks and watched as it was driven to the ship, “if you ask me, I think Vlad’s doing this to make sure he can keep a close eye on you. Making you spend your summer on a controlled ship and close to him, would make the perfect opportunity for him to study you two and make sure you don’t run of or Arianna get the idea of going home.”

Danny stopped dead in his tracks, “you think she would do that?”

“If my study has made anything clear to me, it’s that she’s having a strong bond to her homeland and feels homesick,” she replied and sighed in irritation, “no matter if she’s going to admit it or not. It surprises me she hasn’t left us already. I mean, come on – it’s been six months!”

Danny rolled it over in his head. True, someone who had gained their freedom and could go as she pleased would normally run home, but she had stayed even after the normal length of hospitality. Danny liked having her around, but jazz was right, it didn’t make sense.

What was she staying here for? What made her hesitate? He liked to think it was because of him, but that couldn’t be enough. She had family that waited for her and any sign of life from their long lost daughter. It had to be a good reason. Maybe he should get to the bottom of this…

A funny feeling made the teen come to a halt a second time, “wait, you’re not in my class, why are you here?”

“Duh, Casper highs greatest score? I get free pass to all the schools special event – it pays of to be smart and study hard, little brother. You could learn something from that,” she smiled, beaming with smock glee and Danny rolled his eyes, “meh meh meh – you probably just here because Vlad wants it. With all of us in one place, there’s no backup to call if this gets serious.”

“Actually… I should have declined, since I’m in the middle of a thesis paper about stereotyped teenagers with suppress feelings and don’t have time for this – but I figured you could use my help since this has Vlad’s name literally all over it. You’re welcome!”

He gave her a look that called serious bullshit, “you’re just here, because it was either this or watching dad hula dancing – amiright?”

She chose to ignore him and his silly claims. He watched with crossed arms as she walked up to the teachers, where Lancer greeted her with a smile. Danny returned to his friends and followed the group as the gangway to the ship opened.

A bunch of overly cheery stewards and servants led them aboard and a controller checked their passport and Lancers pack of tickets.

A guide showed them around, but Danny wasn’t listening, he searched among the other guest to find a despised, but familiar face in the crowd and made sure he and the others would keep close to the history teacher.

Danny had no eye for the ships interior, but from the little he had time to notice, even he had to let out a quiet whistle of appreciation. Overall the place was pretty impressive and looked both modern and tasteful.

Tucker swooned when they passed the internet cafe and they had to drag him out to continue the rest of the tour. On the way across the main deck Danny felt a hunch and looked down on the harbor pier to the sight of Vlad Masters stepping out of his limousine.

A swarm of important looking people and paparazzi took pictures and shook hands with the major, before he entered the gangway and disappeared out of Danny’s view.

He hoped it would stay that way.

“Alright people, listen up,” Mr. Lancer called out and made the eager teens assemble around him and Miss. Shade, “the ship will be leaving border in two minutes, so if you want to take one last look at American ground, before leaving for Europe, you can go to the open deck and walk by the railing now. Your luggage will be brought to your assigned suites and the keycards will be handed to you, when we meet at the oasis lounge in half an hour.”

He waved a couple of shiny cards and Arianna waved a list for them all to see with a wide toothy smile and took over, “and you will be assigned two people with one card per suite, your suite partner is already chosen by me and will be reviled when you get your card – have fun!”

Danny relaxed, if Arianna had made the list, he was pretty sure he would be paired up with Tucker, since different sex pair on a school trip would be unlikely. He hoped Arianna had found a suitable partner for Sam. If she ended up with Star or Paulina, someone was bound to leave the ship on open sea, and not by boat.

Danny followed the others to the railing, but made a duplicate just before the doors and stayed behind as an invisible ghost. He watched as the last students left with his Fenton duplicate and flew back to the hallway.

The two teachers were having a discussion, but didn’t seem to be having any difficulties like normal.

The promise of a relaxing vacation seemed to have made Lancer forget his discrepancy with the other teacher and Arianna was glowing with excitement. Danny smiled by the sight, at least someone was getting something good out of this trip.

They walked down the hallways with Danny following them and ended up on a suite hall, where the teachers parted for each door. Arianna pressed her card to the door and walked in. Danny was right behind her and felt the urge to whistle. The suite was spacious and charming, if not hotel like.

He watched as she unpacked her luggage on the queen-sized bed and made herself at home with little knick-knacks and flowers.

“I know you here, Danny,” she singsanged with her back to him and Danny sighed, “really? But I suppressed my core!”

“You did, but you also phased though my elbow on the way in. Your core is pretty damn cold, kid.”

He let the invisibility go and sat down on her bed as she continued unpacking and found a list, “so what can I do for you, Danny? If it’s about training, I like to continue even if we’re one vacation. We could probably find a quiet place down in the bottom of the ship, if you like?”

“Sounds nice,” he said with fake enthusiasm and tried to come up with a good excuse for following her to her suite, “sure, but it was this…uhmm list I wanted to see. I trust that you paired me up with Tucker or Sam,” he said lamely and she made a frown.

“Actually I had some problems with this distribution and ended up pairing you with Dash Baxter.”

Danny almost phased though the bed by that and she giggled, “sorry, I’m just messing with you, I signed you up with Tucker and your sister with Sam. Although I had some problems finding a partner for Valerie Grey. You think she would be okay with having a suite by herself? We’re not an even number, so one has to live alone.”

“It’s probably fine…” he was pretty sure the huntress would want all the privacy she could get anyway. He, Tucker and Sam was still the only ones other than her father, Arianna and Vlad, who knew about her ghost hunting job and she would probably like to keep it that way, even if she had no idea the teens knew about her.

Valerie had slowly separated herself from the other A-listers, despite her father getting his job back at Axion Lab and raise them back to a wealthy living. She had been forced to shift school after she and her father had moved to Elmerton on the other side of the lake and had been absent for a whole year in Danny’s life.

After she stopped working for Vlad, she had gotten better and the Greys had moved back last spring, probably to stay for good this time. Valerie would sometime hangout with them and even help Phantom on a ghost infected night of patrol, but other than that, the two of them kept to themselves.

She had attacked Nightshade ones or twice, but after Danny had calmed the infuriated Nightshade down and explained Valerie’s situation for her, Arianna had abandoned her plans of revenge and let her go for Danny’s sake.

He was still debating whenever to tell Valerie to lay of “Three-eyed shady” (as the newspapers ever so creative had named Nightshade), but Phantom and the Red huntress weren’t friends, even though she sometimes let him go of easily. Telling her to stay away from Nightshade would probably just fuel her hunting instincts more.

Better to just keep it cool and keep Nightshade in a shorter leash.

“Okay then. Just wanted to know if the ghost hunter could stand being alone – and speaking of your classmates, can you tell the others we are meeting in the lounges in fifteen minutes?”

Danny just nodded, too messed up in his own thoughts to really keep focus, “kay.”

“And wear something nice, there’s going to be a lot of important and snobbish people apparently,” she continued and fiddled with a bouquet on her table. Danny wondered why she would bring something like that on a cruise ship – but then again, what did he know about women?

“Sorry, but I don’t dress up for snobs or old rich folks – I’ve come to the sad, but scary part of my grownup stage, where I just do as my father. And that means a tie over my t-shit.”

She rolled her eyes with an amused smile and put the last of her jewelry away and walked to the bathroom. Danny still had that funny feeling something wasn’t right and moved closer to the flowers, inspected the black roses. Danny shook his head by the sight of such color.

Weird, he had no idea you could buy this kind of herbals, looks expensive. A little card appeared behind the leaves and he bit his lip. Someone had send her flowers?

He could hear her continue rummage around in the bathroom and its walls made her voice hallow, “but still – if you don’t want to dress up for the other passengers, at least do it for your uncle. His apparently giving a speech.”

“His not my uncle!” he yelled back and reached for the card, “him being my dad’s creepy friend and knowing about my ghost half, doesn’t make him my anything.”

“If you say so,” she called back, letting the subject go and Danny’s eyebrows scrunched tight together the more he read and he felt his teeth clench. The teen crusted the little card in his hand with a scowl. The card may be anonymously, but he would recognize that handwriting any day.

The flowers were from Vlad.

Danny wondered if this truce was even worth it anymore.

-

Sam and Tucker looked around the lounge with interest, while Danny sulked in the couch.

Yes, yes, the lounge was fancy with its live music, soft couch areas and bar, but Danny could practical smell the Masters cologne leaking from the wallpaper and felt like breaking something.

That expensive looking vase with Vlad’s face on it next to him as a start.

“Oh relax, Danny,” Jazz sighed in annoyance and pushed a milkshake to him across the table, “so what if he gave her flowers? It’s probably just some rich people thing, I bet every woman on this boat have found one in their suite, creepy as it is – my mom used to get a basket of chocolate every time we visited her favorite spa. And the card was anonymous, so there’s no alarm, right?”

“His pushing the deal,” Danny sneered and placed his hand on top of the Vlad vase. It turned intangible and fell through the floor. A distant scream and crash of porcelain could barely be heard over the live music, but it was good enough for Danny.

Tucker sad down beside him and placed the untouched milkshake firmly in Danny’s hand, “cheer up, dude. Sam’s right, she doesn’t know it’s from him and if that’s the closest he gets, this trip will be as easy as a vacation – which it is.”

“You don’t get it,” the raven-haired teen replied in frustration, “he’s a lying son of a bitch, but is it too much to ask of him to keep a truce for once? A deal he made? Just for once could he actually keep a truce till the end and stay of my lawn!?”

Sam gave him a look, “ _your_ lawn? When did Arianna become your property? She may be a former slave, but she’s not yours, Danny. She’s a big girl, she can take care of herself.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” he sighed and massaged his temples,” I mean, could you imagine those to actually meet? If I’m lucky it would end in a fight – and if she’s _really_ lucky, she could end up kicking his ass.”

Danny actually liked that thought, but the world was rarely shaped after his wishes.

“He would ty to get her on his good side and appeal to her darker tendencies – and what if he succeeds? What if she joined him? I can’t fight her! She’s like my…my…umm, friend?”

What exactly were she to him again? He tried to come up with a better name for it, but nothing came to mind. Maybe ‘mentor’?

But a mentor was more of a teacher thing and the only one he ever seen as a mentor was Clockwork – and he seriously doubted the old timekeeper would wash his clothes or let him skip school with pancakes and syrup.

Arianna had a special place in his life, but the closest he could get to a label, was a ‘motherly figure’. But he already had a mother…so what did that make her? He didn’t know. But he had to prevent Plasmius from affecting her.

He had to.

Sam, Jazz and Tucker seemed to consider his words and Tucker sucked thoughtfully on his milkshake straw, “aw man, that would suck big time. If two halfas had to fight against one, I would want it to be a pair on our side.”

“I don’t think you give her credit enough – but that just me I guess,” Sam rotated the straw in her glass and placed her heavy boots on the table. The nearby waiter sent them a displeased look, which she of course ignored. She was used to the scolding from her parents and since the whole ship was paid by Vlad, she couldn’t care less.

She would probably wreck her suite just to spite the man. That was Sam for you. Danny could only admire her.

He sighed and leaned back in the soft couch, “maybe I’m just to paranoid, but I tell you, this stinks.”

He took a sip of his milkshake and almost choked, “ _kiwi fudge!?_ Just how long has he been spying on me!?”

He almost smashed the glass as he placed it back on the table, making both his friends jump. The teen’s eyes flared green and he turned to the lounges with bared teeth, “that does it! That creep is going –”

“ – right up to the scene, Mr. Masters,” a bodyguard remarked, interrupting Danny on his way to the lounges podium and made people move out of the way. People started clapping delicately as the billionaire and Major of Amity Park entered the lounges and walked to the now cleared scene.

Danny sent the man daggers with his eyes and got a wide smirk in return. Vlad looked like he was in his right element and took the applause like a gentleman. Shook hands with different people on the way and charmed everyone with his blinding appearance.

A bounce of women sent him lovesick gazes and Sam mad a gesture to Danny like she was vomiting. Danny sat down with a humph, but smiled at Sam’s antics. He caught the sight of Arianna on the other side of the lounge, where she was having a margarita with Lancer at the bar.

She followed the ships host with her eyes and clapped like anyone else, but other than that, she didn’t seem to show any deeper interest. Danny had told her the same story he had given Vlad short before the trip; that Vlad was a friend of his father and learned about his secret years ago, all that.

But just as she didn't seem to have any real interest in getting to know his parents, she didn’t seem to give the man any deeper interest either and since he had been absent in Danny’s life for six months, she hadn’t shown any signs of getting to know him better or spy on him for that matter.

Danny guessed he should count himself lucky.

As soon as the applause started to die down, she whispered something in Lancers ear and they shared a silent laugh. Danny hoped it was something on Vlad’s expense and turned his eyes to the podium. Arianna seemed on the right path.

“Lovely to see you all here today,” Vlad said heartily and flashed a smile, “it’s is an honor and great pleasure to welcome you all aboard _MRS. Badger of the sea_ , on her very maiden voyage and first course to Europe's ports. As you can see there haven’t been restrained on any expenses and I can assure you that the ship is created with the best facilities, modern amenities and luxury in mind.”

The snobbish passengers all raised their expensive cocktails in cheers and Tucker snickered, “it’s not even teen in the morning and their all on hard liquor. Such _animals_ ,” he finished with a parody of Vlad’s most snooty voice.

Sam almost chocked on her milkshake in laughter and had to cover her mouth. Jazz just shook her head.

“I see a lot of familiar faces with me today, but I would like to give a special welcome to the class of Casper High, the jewelry of youth from my own city and subjects,” Vlad said and eyed Danny in particular.

Danny considered giving him the middle finger, but everyone was looking at him and his classmates now.

“As you all may know, these bright little heads won the major nationwide competition, I and my corporation sponsored and will be joining us this summer cruise. It is likewise a great pleasure to inform that there is a very special person of mine, in this particular group I like to introduce. Come up here Daniel, don’t be shy.”

Danny felt frozen on the spot like an idiot and would probably had stayed that way, if Dash haven’t pushed him forward. Danny more stumbled to the scene than walked and Vlad pulled him to his side, with a firm hand on his shoulder.

“Smile for the crowed, my boy,” Vlad whispered in his ear and turned to the rest of the lounges with a clear voice, “it was this particular boy that inspiration me to start my carrier as politician and run for mayor of Amity Park, a city that represent all that is great and humbly in American. It was with my dear godson, Daniel, in thought that I had this peal of a ship build and even named it – isn’t that right, little _badger?_ ”

Danny could hear some of his classmates laugh and some old people awing. He felt his cheeks burn.

Vlad smirked at Danny’s glowing eyes and continued, “now, now, I know what you all may think, but I can assure you that the competition winners was randomly selected and I had nothing it do with the result. Let’s give them a hand, shall we?”

Vlad kept him in place and all the teen could do was let it all happen and endure. Tucker, Jazz and Sam was both giving Vlad nasty glares and Danny sympatric looks, while Arianna watched with both confusion and curiosity.

Danny hastened to smile, making sure she wouldn’t become suspicious and leaned friendly against Vlad, even though it was against everything he stood for. Vlad blinked surprised, but seemed to understand when he caught sight of the history teaching.

Danny knew his cheeks would hurt like hell later from all this stiff smiling, but kept in in place.

All he had to do now, was keeping this up for three months…


	28. Guess who's back, back again, shady's back, tell a friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Guys =)  
> december is gonna be a hell hole of exams for me, so there may be some problems with updating that month, but so far its working it self out Leave a comment if you feel like it - enjoy!
> 
> * * *

Skulker checked his gadgets again and frowned.

The black shade Nightshade had insisting on following him for the hunt of her possession, watched him patiently.

It that had been his traveling companion for a few months’ now and been assistance on the hunt for the real-world item (better known as ‘target, red bag’) and even though Skulker always made a pride out of working alone, the shade had showed to come in handy.

It returned from its short reconnaissance and whispered the news in his ear. Not good news it seemed. The ghost portal had changed location again. They were once again to late.

The search had been a challenge from the start and only seemed to add up the closer they got to the target. It was a hunt five years too late, but for a hunter of Skulker’s caliber, it only meant that the hunt would be a greater challenge and therefor a hunt worthy his time.

The red lady bag, that had once been in Skulker’s position as a trophy form the only female halfa to exist, had been stores in his lair for display until five years ago, where had been stolen by one of Skulker’s own caged preys.

A Ecto-squid far smarter than previously thought. The ecto-squid had been clumsy in its escape and apparently dropped it over a deserted area out west of the Ghost zone – a place that had been overtaken by the ghost Undergrowth by now.

Searching for an item and clues of its whereabouts in his wasteland of roots and deadly plasma-eating plants, had been difficult at least and only lead them deeper into the ghost zone.

So far Skulker had learned that the bag had floated around and followed the natural zone’s gas and plasma streams, before becoming beached somewhere in a radius of mile.

The hair comb search had paid off and led them to the southern part of the zone. The Storage Room.

It was normal for real-world items to end up her, since they just like humans just passed though the solid parts of the zone and would first come to a halt when colliding with another solid force.

The door to the storage had a natural connection to the many streams and swallowed items, where they would rest in its natural lair for time and eternity – unless someone removed them that is.

Ghost was brought her when the infamous thermos of Danny Phantom released them back into the ghost zone and was known spot by all criminal ghost on this side of the zone.

Skulker usual just ignored the items that was brought in with him, but he knew other ghost often picked items from the storage and brought them back to their lairs, or used them for target practice, when they were enraged after a fight with the ghost-kid.

Bringing items to a lair was in Skulker’s world completely waste of time, since most of it was worthless scraps or destroyed. He prided himself on being able to showcase a home built precluded from natural ectoplasmic materials or parts of captured prey.

He hated the feeling of being phased though and would never tolerated that in his own lair. But other Ghost wasn’t as discerning as the hunter and came to the Storage Room, like it was a free shopping center.

That Johnny 13 kid as an example. Skulker often saw him pass with his motorcycle bags bulging with items and could only assume they were for his lair and girlfriend.

He had never seen their lair in person, but knew from Ember, that the couples place was a formed as a flat as if it belonged to humans. The pair was still new in the zone – only been her for thirty years after a motorcycle accident (with was a short time for the hunter, who had made it to the zone around thirteen centuries ago.)

He had finally located their lair with the help of the real-world radar, Plasmius had equipped in his new arsenal of gadgets and weapons. The pair had an impressive collection of items, but none of the items that matched Nightshades list of content that the bag had contained.

Kitty had advised him to investigate either Box Ghost's warehouse or Walker's prison. Both had an interest in real-world items and had been seen around the Storage Room.

Skulker had broken into Box Ghost's lair and sought his collection for three days, together with the shadow that seemed to have the ability to split further into another teen clones, without her mistress's influence and scoured the store in no time.

They didn’t find the bag, but a makeup purse the shadow identified as belonging to the female halfa and Skulker crossed it on the list.

The lair’s owner had showed up on the fifth day and been surprised in an ambush, where Skulker had slammed him up against the wall and demanded some answers after an exhausting chase, “where’s the rest, punk?”

“I AM THE BOX GHOST! I DON’T ANSWER TO-”

Skulker had charged his shoulder weapons and the noisy ghost had paled another four shades of pasty blue, “uhm, I mean, IT WAS STOLEN FROM ME TWO YEARS AGO! ON SCOUT’S HONOR!”

That had been good enough for Skulker and the hunter continued to the Realm of the Far Frozen, where the trail had gone cold…. literally.

A frightened yeti child had shuttering told them, that a dealer had tried selling some real-world items to the realm’s chief, Frostbite, but the chief had declined since the collections of items had no magical abilities and sent the dealer away.

The kid knew nothing more of the dealer than that, but had revealed something about a map that could take one anywhere in the zone, which had piqued the hunter.

Such map could make the hunt much faster, but a confrontation with the realms adult warriors had brought him on other ideas. With a frozen leg and pounding headache after a fist fight, Skulker had promised himself to come back some day and stuffing one of them yetis to display besides his fireplace, but not now.

He had a hunt to continue.

The dealer turned out to be almost impossible to find, but lucky for him, the idiot was a big mouthed charlatan and babble his name to countless ghosts during his voyage through the zone.

He was no longer an item dealer, but used his powers to create havoc in the human world and amuse himself by making the front pages. Skulker had to wait in order to track down a spontaneous ghost portal for three weeks and returned to the human world, but it had been worth it.

The hunter had found the retired dealer in San Francisco, where the ghost imitated famous people with his morphing powers and made scandals for kicks.

The shade had caught him I an alleyway and put its shackling powers to good use, after a long chase and Skulker had given the ghost a fist in the stomach, just to get some steam out.

The ghost ‘Amorpho’ had tried to sell them human gossip in desperation and even claimed to pay them big money, if they just let him go. Skulker had no interest in that kind of nonsense and went straight to the point.

As far as the story goes, the trickster had made a short living three years ago, by selling items by chance and come across the treasures of Box Ghost’s lair, when all the good stuff from the Storage Room had thinned out.

He had taken all the magical items he could get and taken the bag because it looked like it was in good condition and would probably bring him a little extra from a female ghost costumer.

He had tried selling it to the yetis, but since they weren’t interested, he had sold its content separately. That information had given Skulker a headache and the Shade had been furiously and almost strangled the caged ghost in rage.

Amorpho had given them all the name of all the clients he could remember and even more, when the shade had flashed its teeth and they left him after beating him up for good.

Skulker found that he liked the shades style and let it participate more in the hunt, than just as an observer. That turned out to be good decisions, since it lead him to a useful portal and they returned to the ghost zone in less than a week.

He named it ‘Bloodthirsty hound shadow of doom’, but shorted it to ‘Thirsty’ – he didn’t have time for long fight callings and the shade had giving him bitchy looks when he whistled after it.

He renamed it ‘Bitchy’ when it ate his last picture of Ember and reminded himself to feet it more often. It was the hundred and seventy picture he demolished or lost, since their last breakup/make up and Ember was gonna be pissed!

Damn it!

The collecting of the scattered items was slow and dreadful, but as the ghost zone began to heat up during summer, they could cross the last item of the list and conclude that they were only lacked a single part of the goal.

The red bag. The shoulder bag itself was worthless, but the list informed him, that a passport was sewed into a secret pocket in the bag and would be the most important item on the whole list.

He had informed Plasmius along the way (without the shades knowledge), as the collection of items progressed and had been giving access to the half-ghost’s fortunes and contacts when it was needed in situations, like the one where an item had to be purchase from a wealthy ghost or tracked down through further buyers.

The trip to the big cities like The Soul Center and the distant Core City, had been the worst. All three halfas was wanted by the Cube and it had required great discretion to move in the cities underworld, if it first was revealed that he worked for Plasmius.

They had barely made it out of Core City and he almost lost Bitchy, when a group of light fairy had tried taking them out.

Lucky for the hunter, there had been no bounty for information or location on the bag and the Cube seemed to busy trying to break into the ghost-child’s portal, to think about locating their lost slave, by searching for her human identity.

The Cubes hired bounty hunters had only had eyes for Skulker and that had turned out to be a big problem halfway through the hunt. He had to put the search on hold till he had shaken the other hunters of his back and found himself in the human world again.

And now they were stranded…in Amazonas.

Bitchy’s report of the portal back to the zone, being closed and removed again, made his eyes flash in rage. If they didn’t get back to the zone and out of this tropic wilderness, the bounty hunters would find their tracks and catch up with them.

Skulker had no respect for bounty hunters and especially not bounty hunters hunting him! He was the ghost zones greatest hunter – he wasn’t some _prey!_

“If we lose the next chance to get into the zone, we’ll get ready for battle,” he promised the shade. It hissed and flashed him a razor-sharp grin. A perfect matched to his own edgy one.

He charged his weapons as they left for the portal hunt. Plasmius had promised him a reward matching the content of encounter he should meet on this mission and so far, Skulker expected to be paid in more than just upgraded weapons.

Fighting a group of eighteen professional bounty hunters – ghosts, vampires and light fairies – would add well on that list of new equipment and weapons for his new upgraded suit, he and Technus had made blueprint for.

Skulker couldn’t wait for his reward.

-

Clockwork watched the dimension with a concentrated frown.

He wasn’t displeased, far from. But he could be impatient and this was one of those things he liked to speed up. The female halfa was into play, but still only connected to Danny Phantom.

The rivalry between the two halfa males was expected and the outcome would be just as multifarious as the droops in the sea. The old timekeeper had taking his risks and taken a peak into the many futures, without the Observants permission and found some clues.

As far as he could see, the outcome would play out for both his and Danny’s advantage, although the young boy had a long journey ahead of him, before he would reach it fully.

Seeing the boy in pain was no fondly sight for the immortal ghost, but he knew that the boy would find happiness in the end.

And speaking of happiness…

Clockwork turned to the dark niche in the back of his tower with an insecure feeling and floated to the old dirty thermos. The rusty dented surface of the thermos left dust on the Time keepers gloves and a mix of green and red marks decorated the soup container.

Probably old remains of Danny's blood and ectoplasm.

The usual humming and silent cursing, had died down these last weeks and been replaced by a less audible line of murmuring. Was Dark Phantom talking to himself?

A sound much like a yawn made Clockworks eyebrow raise a bit and he pressed his ear to the thermos. Was the ghost sleeping now? This behavior was unusual for Dark and made the old ghost… _curios_.

“Dark Phantom.”

All noise that had come from the thermos stilled and the air seemed to get pregnant with underlying anticipation. It must had come as a shook to the specter that the timekeeper would address him now, after all these years.

They had never shared as much as a word before – well…the evil specter had cursed and made name callings, if not made accusations about a mother Clockwork never had, but it had been a one-sided conversation.

That didn’t count.

Actually, he had no idea why he would even degrade himself to a civil conversation with the soup thermos content, but he suspected it was the sight of those Clockworks he had seen getting along with the other dimension Dark Phantoms and even made a partner.

Maybe it was curiosity? Boredom?

The sad thing about being an all-knowing timekeeper with access to the ever-changing future, past and present, was that he couldn’t see his own.

It was all a big black spot to him and had been like that ever since his powers and cosmic influence, had been caged by the Observants and their peace-loving control.

The same obstacle made Dark Phantoms future unknown to Clockwork. He Couldn’t predict much about the evil Danny Phantom, since said ghost was in his presence and therefor out of Clockworks span of foreseeing.

The child ghost frowned by the memory of old times and gazed up to the four pillars that supported the clocktower and held four statues. They had held their strong poise though time and eternity, but still seemed touched by time.

Small cracks here and there, messing fingers and ruined details. As great ruins of a lost civilization that soon would be forgotten and lost to the sea of oblivion and time, they were nothing more than a memory for him to keep.

It filled him with a great sadness to see the forms of his past companions and friends like this. They had once ruled the world and many dimensions in a powerful hold and shaped the reality as they pleased.

Now they were nothing but treasured memories in his mind and stone on his walls. The statue of a hooded figure with a scythe in his bony hands attracted Clockworks longing gaze and he sighed.

The deathkeeper had lost his existence as the first of them and paid dearly for his resistance against the Observants. He had been the one closets to the timekeeper, since time and death always had seemed to go perfect hand in hand.

The time made all things fade and blossom, and death would lead the souls of all creatures and things to the next existence. It was a beautiful wheel of actions and movement.

But not anymore.

The useless longing returned his red illuminated eyes to the thermos and he studied it with content, “I know we haven’t spoken in many years, but there’s no need to shy away. Please, speak now.”

He waited and the wait stretched to a minute. The many clocks and watched made him aware of the heavy silence from the thermos and the timekeeper sighed in disappointment.

He was ready to return the container to the niche, when a muffled voice reached him.

“My, my Clockwork. If I didn’t know better, I would say you were _lonely._ ”

The threatening tone made the young timekeeper smirk and he brought the thermos along to his usual position by the screens of time, “I think that makes two of us. I thought we could come to an arrangement and maybe share each other’s company for a change. I’m sure that thermos isn’t offering you much entertainment. How about a simple conversation?”

“Conversation…” Dark mused, clearly not much for the thought of civil small talk, but if that meant the old ghost would start listening to his treads, then fine, “alright, let’s _converse_ then. Tell me how you got that big scar on your face.”

Clockwork scuffed, “rather rude icebreaker, Dark. I see the time in the thermos haven’t help you correct your behavior. We will have to change that.”

“Some might say I should show my elders some respect and agree to their old man talk, but that just not how I work,” the deep baritone replied darkly, making the other smirk a little. If Dark wanted to bicker with him, then so be it.

They had all the time in the world.

“I’m surprised you haven’t come up with some insulting wits about my nonexistent mother by now,” Clockwork retorted and moved to his new favorite dimension, “finally found some tact? I know your mother taught you to be polite to your elders.”

“Well she also taught me to brush my teeth, but that didn’t keep me from filling myself with teeth-rotting junk food and blow her and the rest of the world to bloody pulps.”

The ominous laughter filled the tower and made echoes in the great hall. Clockwork listen to the new sound without worry or fear. The ghost was no threat to him in this condition and the company – pleasant or not – was welcomed in this dreadful wait.

He moved the thermos closer to the screen, allowing the ghost to hear for himself, “I thought you could assist me in observing this particular dimension of mine. It’s quite interesting.”

Dark Phantom seemed to fall into a silent observation in his thermos, listening to the screens sounds and they stayed like that for some time. Clockwork had almost forgotten all about him, when Dan broke the silence, “she’s new. I didn’t encounter her in my timeline. Dead?”

Clockwork watched Arianna who sat side by side with Danny in the container part of the cruise ship, teaching him how to made a concentrated mass of moving ectoplasm in his hand. Danny smiled as a green bird formed in his palm.

The timekeeper sighed, “in most dimensions and timelines, yes. An forced imprisonment in her ghost form lasting a decade, has made her two forms unstable. Her human form is slowly decaying and killing her like poison.”

“Funny how imprisonment can… _eat you up from the inside_ ,” the ghost drawled mockingly and Clockwork didn’t need to see him to know that the other ghost was grinning devilishly.

“Yes, but she’s got a little time left,” the timekeeper said and circled the screen in his child form, “she’s torn. So close to familiar ground and her beloved past, but the temptation comes with a price. The connection to the boy makes her doubt and confused of how to continue. It will be a test of her willpower and loyalty as a halfa.”

The sight of Vlad Plasmius floating above the ship came in to focus. Clockwork smiled darkly, “a test she not struggling with alone.”

Dark's voice was the epitome of dark foreboding glee, “tell me everything.”


	29. Are you European? Cause you-a-piece-of-shit!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys  
> Sorry the delay, but an important paper got in the way  
> hope you enjoy - leave a comment if you feel like it
> 
> * * *

“I can’t wait for this vacation to be over!” Danny groaned painfully and smacked his tired head down on the table.

Felt like planking right here and now. Seriously planking.

“Long night again?” Tucker asked and picked from the lunch buffet. The fresh food and colorful goods made Danny’s insides groan, but he was too tired to even chew.

Sam helped by spoon-feeding him from his plate, “Danny this has to stop, you’ve been guarding Arianna’s suite for weeks! You can’t keep this up without draining yourself.”

Danny ignored her and focused on chewing. Staying up late was normally his specialty and he had proven to mankind that you could survive staying awake for three weeks, relaying alone on redbull and sugar shoot straight to the blood veins.

He had been forced to do that to keep up with the ghost fighting and high school, if he’d wanted to survive both and that haunted time had left him with flushed nerves and unstable sanity.

The solution to his halfa problems had turned out to be his duplicate powers and he had discovered that he could get rested like a normal person, if he left a clone to sleep the recommended nine hours and merged with it afterwards.

That way he copied all the duplicates experience like a download and could go on, as if he’d slept himself. The arrangement had slowly been canceled as Danny got foot on his territory and the ghost fights became fewer.

But now he was back to the basis.

“Vlad knows what you doing – give it up, dude, and do something else,” Tucker advised and cleaved though his plate selection of dark meat, everything good from the sea and more meat from different nation styles.

They had all tried the danishes at breakfast for Arianna’s sake and found that the sugary pastries were a little too sweet even for Danny. How did Danish people keep their weight down?

As for Vlad, it was a lot bitter story. The half-ghost had seen right though Danny’s guarding tactic and went for his sleeping duplicate the first night.

As the weeks went, the duplicates had either been destroyed or chased down the hallways to keep Danny from sleeping and no matter how many duplicates Danny hid around the ship, Vlad always seemed to get to them all before sunrise.

Danny had stood his ground and stayed guard at the unknowing sleeping female’s suite and secured that she wouldn’t get any nightly visitors. He had to admit he was out of shape in the whole “sleep deprivation” thing and lost the touch to survive it.

He could barely stand anymore and every time Vlad came into range, he would flash a winning smile at the teen and chuckled behind his back. It drove Danny crazy.

They both knew Danny couldn’t keep up much longer and what Danny gained at night, he lost at day. They had been visiting the port of Costa del sol, Malta, Algarve, Cannes and had continued to Southampton in England, where they would reach border tomorrow morning.

The second Arianna had sat food on land, Danny had been at her side like a hawk and practically walked in her footsteps.

When it had been revealed in the lounge, that his classmates had him to thank for this trip, the popular kids had showed him a lot of unwanted attention and tried taking his precious time.

Danny didn’t need Sam to figure out they just wanted his attention, ‘cause he was Masters favorite again and could get them influence or something. He had been too tired to send a duplicate after the history teacher and had been forced to watch her from a distant or bee clingy.

She had been a little confused over his behavior, but seemed thrilled to showing him the ports and attractions.

Sam and Tucker had followed along and help him guiding her around to keep her from getting to close to the billionaire, like a bunch of bodyguards leading a celebrity though an assassin field. 

Vlad always seemed to be just behind the next corner and Danny had been forced to be creative in most cases. In Costa del sol, Danny had faked drowning to get Arianna’s attention and leave the beach, when Vlad had walked up to her.

He had stopped the show, when she’d tried to give him mouth-to-mouth, though. When they reached Malta, he had made them get horrible lost in the city streets, in order to loos Vlad and in Algarve he had even pushed her of her surfboard.

Cannes was a whole other challenge in itself. Danny had embarrassed himself at the local marked, when Vlad had turned up at a narrow street and made it impossible for them not to stumble into him.

In the moment of panic, Danny had grabbed Arianna and jumped into a tango session to the music of a band of three men with flutes and harmonicas, and made Arianna stay at the wide town square till Vlad had made his merry way.

He had no idea what he was ready to do in England, but it felt like his limit was moving every time he caught a glimpse of Plasmius.

Speaking of which. Vlad made his grand entrance and came into view, walking down the restaurant along with the rest of the late dinner guests and Danny turned his head to the table of the two teachers.

Arianna was on her way to the buffet from the opposite direction, just in time to collide with Vlad if he slowed down – which he did of course.

Mother fucker.

Danny sighed, hid his hands under the table and covered the floor with a layer of ice. Hoped for the best. 

Vlad blinked in surprise as the floor became slippery, but lifted himself just an inch from the floor by floating, while the ice took Arianna totally by surprise and she grabbed the edge of a nearby table to prevent falling with shaking legs.

Lancer weren’t that lucky and hit the floor like a falling tree.

_“War and peace!”_

Danny turned back to his slow consuming and ignored the bunch of waiters that helped Lancer and apologized for the ice on the floor. No clue how it got there. Someone would probably get fired or be punished for Danny little evasive action, but right now he couldn’t give a damn.

“Maybe you should just…tell her?” Tucker finally said after they had watched the dramatic ice-skate show on the restaurant floor. Two waiters had bite the dust (well, ice) and the area was now closed with a little delicate sign.

“You could just explain to her in private and tell her to play along, help herself not getting near him. Vlad would never know and he wouldn’t cancel the truce.”

“He’ll know,” Danny groaned face down his plate and lifted a meat and salad coated face, “I think he’s spying on me or something – you guys remember that bug we found in Sam’s spider bag that time?”

Two rich ladies walked down the restaurant, both showed clear signs of being obvious drunk and didn’t offer the signs any real interest, before slipping and gliding down to the other side of the restaurant with high pitched screams.

“Spying? As in right _now?_ ” Tucker asked anxious, “aw man, I've _done_ things in my room!”

Sam rolled her eyes, “please spill the details, Tucker, I would love to hear about your little dirty secrets and scandalous browser history.”

“You won’t find anything, woman – I live by a holy philosophy; ‘Those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it - and those who do not clear their browser history are doomed to explain it’.”

Two kids had discovered the ice and brought their skates along, “cool! Indore buffet skate!”

Danny felt a heavy headache build up and groaned around the same time as Skulker, who was having a hard time figuring out just what the hell a shade eats. Danny abandon his plate and let the ice melt to regain some power.

The two kids wailed when their game was ruined.

A loud groan from the ship made everyone startled and the teens gasped as the ship tilted slightly. Sam kept her balance by grabbing Danny, “what the hell?”

A loud metallic growled made them all panic and people started running for safety. Danny lips parted in cold mist and he knew for certain that the vacation was as good as over. He hid under the table, while Sam and Tucker covered and returned in his ghost form.

“I go check this out – try and find Arianna and meet me at the deck!”

He turned intangible and phased though the stores of ship levels before he reached the open air. People had assembled at the railing and pointed or took pictures. Danny turned to the view in time to hear a well-known childish laugher.

A green admiral ship had its point to the cruise ship and was clearly a of ghost origins, if the ominous glowing and floating was anything to go by. A fancy dressed crew of wig clad ghost, waved threatening with their guns and swords, groaning in uncomprehending, but haunting gibberish.

The commander of the ship stepped forward in full uniform, with a toothy smile and hands locked on his back.

“Gentlemen!” the ghost greeted gleefully and drew his sword-hand, “get ready to be boarded by the…uhm…”

The fancy skeleton servant on his left side bowed down to his level, “by the _pride_ of the royal navy.”

The child ghost lighted up and accepted the tiny teacup his shapeshifting assistant had served him, “that’s right! We’re here to board your ship with the pride of the royal navy!”

Danny put himself in-between the two ships and decided he was way too tired for this shit, “Youngblood, whatzya doing here? We’re like in the middle of Europe!”

“Ahoy Matey!” the ghost kid yelled and was corrected by the skeleton with a stern look.

“Ups, I mean – Well met, good sir, I captain Youngblood, heard that you had left your territory – and not just that – you totally copied me!” Youngblood snapped angry, “I’m the ghost doing ship themes! Not you!”

“Oh, suck a lollypop, kid,” Danny grumbled.

“Don’t call me that! I’m still twice your age! Fight me for the rights of the seas, or be a French coward!”

Danny felt a sleep deprived giggle coming up. How was he supposed to take this kid serious, when he was wearing a curly white wig and lace jacket?

“What happened to your pirate outfit? Grown out of it?”

Youngblood blew him a raspberry, “pirate? _Pfft_ , that’s for little kids – I’m the royal admiral Youngblood of the English seas now – fire!”

Three cannons fired at once and hit the cruise ship. Danny flew down and closed the holes with ice before water could enter and returned to the ghost ship, for some serious ass kicking.

He felt Nightshades ghost signature a second later and saw her shoot at the ghost ship from the opposite side, “Danny! Who the hell is that kid?”

“Wait, you can see him?” Danny asked surprised. Normally it was only children or people with a childish mind that could see Youngblood, but on the other hand all ghost could see him and she was a halfa…

“Never mind – Nightshade that’s Youngblood, Youngblood be a good boy and say hey.”

“Don’t tell me what to do!” the child ghost barked and fired at them. Danny wasn’t fast enough and was smacked against the cruise ship by a cannonball. Nightshade fired at the crew and landed on the deck, where five ship members jumped her at once.

Danny pulled himself together and followed her into the fight. The crew was just as fragile and stupid as he remembered and the boned and lose fleshed ghosts shattered with a few ecto-rays. Easily falling apart.

Or maybe not…

Turned out that Youngblood must have realized this at some point and made some improvements. The shattered bones and ectoplasm started restore itself and rose again as new British sailors.

Danny made ready to be jumped by five at the same time, when two beams shoot though the ghosts heads and cleared an escape for him. Tucker and Sam landed on the haunted deck with smoking ecto-gun and jetpacks, and stood back to back with him.

Six ghost tried penetrate them with their swords and the teams moved as they had trained. Breaking the attack by shifting and fill in on the others weak spots. Moving like a well-oiled clockwork.

“Dude, either I’ve slacked big time in history class, or pirates just got a lot more class. What’s with the laces and little teacups?” Tucker asked in a mix of confusion and humor.

Danny had no idea, “class or not, this beauty pageant ends now!”

He pressed his palms together and searched for the cold ice core in himself. A ball of glowing ice formed in his hands and grew till it looked like it would burst. Danny pressed it with care and watched as it turned solid and darker.

When Vlad had taught him this back at the arena, he had instructed Danny to count to thirteen in his head before releasing, but Danny suspected Vlad of trying to hold him back to keep him from straining himself.

But that time had long passed and Danny had trained. A lot.

He pressed himself to twenty, before releasing the powerful ball.

“Duck!”

He let the energy bomb go and shielded his friends in a green bubble, as a white light exploded. Danny and the others lifted their hands from their heads as the white wave died down. Danny allowed the shield to lift and looked around in wonder.

The entire ship was now frozen solid in clear ice, even a part of the water under the ship and the crew was nothing more than ice figures. Youngblood and his servant had been lucky enough to dodge the ice bomb by floating and the child-ghost cursed some fancy British swears.

His crew was paralyzed in ice and the canons was as good as useless.

“ _The queen be damned!_ Release the kraken!”

The skeleton assistant gave him a foul look, “I thought we agreed that it belonged with the pirate dress up.”

“Na ah!,” Youngblood whined like a little brat, “the admiral in the caribbean movie totally had the kraken at some point!”

“He left it to die on a shore, Sir.”

“Just do it!” Youngblood yelled impatient and made the skeleton assistant sighed heavily, “fine, but you have to work on that British accent. It sounds east cost.”

He jumped overboard and hit the water below them with a splash.

Danny couldn’t believe it, “maybe you should give the guy a raise or something, Youngblood. Your people is starting to walked the plant by themselves.”

Youngblood just smiled grimly and laughed as the water around them started to boil. The ship started to shake and Danny felt his stomach turn.

“What now?” he groaned as they stood shakily on the icy deck, trying to keep balance. The people at the cruise ship started to scream and Danny head Jazz warn him.

The Phantom team’s eyes widened, as long skeleton tentacles rose from the dark water and started to wrap around the ship.

A loud menacing growl followed and they watched in terror as a large bony skull peaked over the vest side of the ship and roared at them with five rows of teethes and glowing red eyes.

Sam returned its stare with a look that clearly called absolute bullshit, “well that make no fucking sense. Octopuses is mollusks – they don’t have bones!?”

Danny grabbed her hand, “less logic talking, more running,” and dragged her along and out of the tentacle’s reach. He was ready to leave ship when Tucker stopped him, “wait, where’s Nightshade?”

The all look back and found her at the frozen deck. Apparently, she hadn’t heard Danny’s warning and had been frozen along with the five crew members she had been ready to blast.

Danny and the others landed around her and she waved in greeting with the hand she had melted back to freedom with her own ecto abilities. The only other part moving was her eyes.

“Sorry,” Danny apologized sheepishly and tried getting the ice of her. A large tentacle hit them all like a hammer and spread them across the deck. Danny new his head was gonna bruise later and tried getting the little Youngbloods to stop flying around his head.

Nightshade's three eyes flickered around in panic, as one of the arms grabbed her frozen waist and tried to get her with it overboard.

“Oh no you don’t,” Danny warned and fired at the arm. The tentacle released its prisoner and the frozen halfa hit the deck like a stone. More of the ice cracked and her head got free, “…ouch.”

“Sorry!” Danny yelled and fired at the next three arms. The skeleton kraken growled and tried slicing him with an arm fast as a wimp and Danny made himself divide from the waist.

A beam hit him in the back of the head and he looked up in annoyance. Youngblood blew smoke out his golden gun hand and draw his sword, “good, sir! I call for a duel!”

“I call your bedtime, kid.”

Youngblood widened his eyes as Danny shot past him in full speed. The teen stopped right above the ship and inhaled deeply. He took a second to gain as much power as possible and let out his ghostly wail.

The massive wave hit the kid like a sledgehammer and slammed him against the deck along with the frozen crewmembers. Sam and Tucker grabbed Nightshade and her still frozen legs, and got out of the danger zone.

Danny didn’t have to hold back anymore and gave it full power. The skeleton assistant grabbed the ship for dear life and broke the mast on the impact. It hit it square in the face and the skeleton blacked out and sank into the water.

The ship was dragged along and started sinking as the kraken’s weight proved to be too much for the ghost ship. Danny stopped when only the last tip of the ship was still above water and Youngblood waved his big frilly hat, “ha! A real captain goes down with his ship and you don’t! See you next month!”

He stuck his tongue out and made rude gestures, before he disappeared with the last of the ship.

Danny massaged his temples, “this is why I don’t leave my territory. They don’t come to fight me there, unless it’s for real.”

A laud applauds made him look up. All the passengers of the cruise ship had assembled at the railing and called his name. Jazz was far the loudest. A lot of camera flashes mixed with happy cheering and Danny felt his lips curl up to a smile.

Oh well, a little gratitude always made being a half-ghost with crazy enemies on his back worth it.

-

Danny and Arianna changed to their human halve and glamour again in private and meet the others in a stall in the casino. Sam had already made orders on their behalf and they celebrated the little victory with fancy drinks none of them could pronounce.

“Nice job, Danny – even though you froze me solid, that compacted ice bomb was perfect,” Arianna praised him and tussled his head.

“Thanks, guess the vacation is over. As long as I’m out of my territory, ghost will come fighting for sport again.”

“Actually…” Jazz implored hesitantly, “we’re all going back to the states, since the ship got seriously damaged. So yeah, vacation is over for good.”

They all groaned and Sam leaned back with content, “well I guess that means we have the rest of the summer to hang out in Danny safe ghost territory – I call Amity park’s Floody Waters water skate park.”

“Deal,” Tucker added and clinked his margarita with hers, “less ghosts, more bikini babes.”

“And less inaccurate biological monsters,” Sam remarked with a shiver and they all cheered before emptying their drinks and took it out on the casino machinery.

Danny had almost lost more than 500 bucks when he needed a break and asked the others if they wanted a refill. Tucker was busy figuring out one of the machines winning system and had money handed over by Sam, who rolled her eyes and won every time without a care.

Jazz was taking her frustration out on a play of poker and tried persuading the business man next to her, to call his wife and solve their marriage once and for all. None of them cared for refill, it seemed.

Danny guess he could use some air and walked out to the deck. He was surprised to find Arianna there. She was leaning on the railing, watching the horizon and stars that had come out from the clear summer sky. Looking utterly…lost.

“I know you are there, Phantom.”

She turned to him and smiled. But it was a half-hearted one. Danny blinked in confusion as he caught the sight of her puffy eyes. She had been crying?

“Hey I get the déjà vu, but don’t go say it in the open like that,” he joked, trying to lighting up the mood and leaned on the railing next to her.

It wasn’t exactly like the time that she had stood under the stars for the first time in teen years and made an alliance with him, but he could see the similarities. She had cried at that time to…

“What’s wrong?”

She didn’t answer, just stared out at the water. Danny followed her gaze and figured those black spots in the horizon must have been the first sight of the British shore.

“Nothing, I'm fine, I just came to realise...It’s only an hour flight away,” she finally said and broke the silence. Danny watched her, waited for her to be more specific.

“I think I get it now, why vampires always carry a small jar of dirt on them. Soil from their homes. In case they die, they would always have it on them…even if their home is long gone with time, distance or eternity.”

The raven-haired teen stared at her in confusion, “they really do that? That’s so weird…”

“Is it?” she whispered softly, “if you had to pick a place to die, Danny. If you could choose any place in the whole wide world…wouldn’t it be home? A familiar place on beloved ground, surrounded by your loved ones and family? Heart is where home is and all that?”

Danny thought about it and guessed he would, but thinking about that felt a little too close to the chest. When he first became Danny phantom, he had thought he had died in that portal for a sec.

The pain had actually made he whish for it. But experience half death didn’t mean that he understood death or the aspects of it better than anyone else. The thought of death and all its uncertainties scared the shit out of him.

He tried not to think too much about it.

“Why are you asking me this?”

Her eyes flickered a second before she covered it up by a smile and giggled, “sorry, I think I got a little brain-freeze back their – no particular reason, Danny. Just…wondering under the stars, you know.

Danny didn’t feel right about this and opened his mouth to get some real answer, when she beat him to it and broke into laughter.

“I just realized I don’t have to know how to play poker to win at it. Want to watch me win a whole table, by possessing all the rest of the players?”

She ran before he could stop her and watched her return to the casino. Something felt wrong and Danny knew when to trust his guts. Sam had told him about Arianna’s outburst at her house during their slumber party and the sick looking hand with the dead fingernails.

Arianna kept saying she was fine and that her healing power was doing its job, but it didn’t add up well. Even though Danny knew he could be farfetched, he knew something was off the moment she repeated the words; “ _I’m fine”_.

That phrase was the oldest lie in mankind history and Danny should know. He had used it every day, ever since he got his powers and double life. No, she was not _“fine”_.

He had to do something to make her.

Arianna called goodnight later that evening and since she was a grown up and jazz wanted badly to be one to, she called it at night as well and followed her out. Danny left a duplicate with the unknowing Tucker and Sam and made a stealthy chase after the two women.

Arianna still seemed a little stiff in her legs after the ice and walked the hallways to her suite a little limping, while Jazz followed her, making grownup conversation.

“I had just hoped this trip would had turned into something more productive for Danny, than simple ghost fighting and old time sleep deprivation,” Jazz said resignedly, “it’s not good for his health or yours, for the matter…”

“I’m just gonna stop you there – I said no therapy sessions during vacation, Jazz.”

None of them took notice as a young waiter passed them, but Arianna’s walk came to an instant halt, as the steward bumped into her shoulder. Arianna’s eyes widened and in an almost fluent motion, she had grabbed the waiter by the shirt and flung him over her shoulder.

The young man hit the floor like a sack of potatoes, not trained or educated in the finer art of material combat or owning the slightest clue how to fall without damaging oneself.

Arianna was over him in a second, eyes blazing black and a flaring hand ready to strike his exposed throat. Ready to penetrate it and end him for good.

Danny was an inch of a second away from blowing his cover and stop the halfa, when Jazz beat him to it and grabbed Arianna, “stop it! This isn’t the arena! It’s not the arena! IT’S NOT THE ARENA!”

Whatever instinct or triggered mechanism that had made the halfa go savage, it dissolved as her eyes turned back to hazel and she blinking confused, before realizing what she had been seconds from doing.

Her breath came out in stuttering gasps and she released the waiter, who didn’t waste a second to bail the scene and run for his dear life. Danny had never seen her act like this before, but apparently, Jazz was familiar with this case and helped the shaking woman to her feet.

Calming her with comforting words and trusting voice, “it’s okay, he just bumped into you, he wasn’t going to attack you, it’s alright, focusing on the breathing technique we trained. That’s right, follow me, in and out. In and out...”

Arianna found her way back to proper breathing and stopped her heaving and shaking. She didn’t seem ashamed from her outlash, but not proud of it neither.

“…I thought I had finally got control of those trigger impulses,” she stated with a voice lased in harsh self-disappointment and sighed as Jazz led her to her suite. The redhead didn’t seem to bummed out by the situation though.

“No it’s good, Arianna. You fell back to your posttraumatic stress disorder, but you stopped yourself, you regained control. You made progress, that’s great!”

Arianna didn’t exactly comply, but didn’t deny that Jazz treatment had worked in a way either.

What Danny didn’t now, was the fact that the female halfa had allowed Jazz to guide her through a longer treatment session to get control of her violent outlashes, whenever she felt threatened, realistic or not.

The final straw that had made the woman realize she needed help, was during a fight against one of Danny’s uncountable enemies, where this clearly weaker ghost had attacked her from behind and the next thing she knew, the ghost had been nothing but ectoplasm covering the concrete of the dirty alley.

She had been clear-headed enough to leave the crime scene before Danny found her and pretend like nothing, but the lack of control and memory, had made her sought out the amateur therapist for help.

One thing was to maul some ghost, but what if she lost it while sparring with Danny or killed one of his friends for patting her back in a moment of distraction?

“It’s only good if we take up the treatment again and beat those triggers of mine to the core – but can we please wait till we get back home? I don’t like working on a vacation. This is hard for me as it is.”

“Fine,” Jazz sighed, “but this isn’t easy for me either, you know. I had hoped to help Danny during this vacation and work on my paper about teenage stereotypes with closet feelings. Did you know that 86% of all Americans feel suppressed into a certain stereotype based on their roll in high school? Most people never get further than that role though their life, ‘cause they’re too scared to be judged by the system and break the expectations that those roles involves.”

“If you’re looking for a boy with his emotions in a closet – I say that Baxter kid is your pick,” Arianna said and started rummage through her handbag to get her door card.

“Dash Baxter? You must be kidding. He’s like the solid proof of a jock stereotype.”

“Jazz, that kid watches the romance channel with his Chihuahua every Tuesdays night, hides at least thirteen teddies in his closet and listens to silly boybands. I followed him home – don’t tell Danny that – and he cried in class during _The sound of music. The sound of music,_ Jazz!”

True, Danny thought and watched as Jazz lighted up like a 100-volt lightbulb, “I gotta find Dash – see you tomorrow! Don’t let any creepy ghosts attack you!”

Arianna waved after her and turned to her door, while shaking her head, “like any ghost could get to me when I always have a shade to stand guard while I sleep.”

She yawned, rolled the sore shoulder and locked the door behind her. Danny stared after her. She always had a shade on guard? Watching her sleep? Then he had been worried about guarding her for nothing!

He felt himself yawn as well and bite his lip. Maybe they were alright, she could watch over herself. He felt the longing for sleep and decided he could let her be just for one night.

He phased though the roof and headed for his own suite.

-

Vlad watched Danny leave and let go of his own invisibly with a smirk.

Driving the boy mad with loss of rest and sleep had been a long exhausting plan, but it had work out just fine. The boy had finally lost the interest in his guard-dog position and succumbed to sleep.

And all it had taken, was for Daniel to realize she had been guarding herself all along.

Well…until now.

The halfa phased though the suite door and found the female sleeping on the floor. The waiter that had passed her and young Jasmine, had poked the hybrids arm with a small needle, on his orders.

I still surprised him just how far one could get with money in this world. People would do almost anything for cash and the young steward was no different. He’d even made the collision seem authentic.

The serum was strong enough to keep her asleep until morning and she wouldn’t even remember hitting the floor. A flawless plan if he had to say himself.

One of Vlad’s clones spread over the ship informed him of the steward’s final destiny. An invisible black shade had followed the fearful man in his desperate run from the woman with the black eyes and flaring hand, but all in vain.

The shade had overshadowed him and made him flung himself into the sea, without a sound. Now that the halfa was unconscious and her shades dissolved into nothing, the young man had regained the control of his body, but was now far behind the ship.

The secret of the female halfa’s identity would die with him – that and the stack of money in his back pocket. Vlad had no problems with that, the coldblooded act only intrigued him more.

He picked her up and brought her to the bed, where he tucked her in carefully and removed her clothes and red wig with a sense of modesty.

As soon as she was under the covers, he picked up the arm without the ghost power-controlling bracelet and unpacked the little medical kit he had bought along.

He had watched their conversation back at the railing. The man had been hiding in the shadows, ready to stop her if he had to or follow her if no other option. Before young Danny had made his entrance, the female halfa had rose to the air, measured the wind.

With the news of the sad cancel of the rest of the trip, she had look as if she was more than ready to jump. Not into the water of course, but east. To the mainland.

England was only an hour flight away from Scandinavia and in the north, Denmark awaited. Vlad had watched her with anticipation. He had made this whole arrangement to test her loyalty to the boy and waited with withheld breath as she made her decision.

If she left, she would have failed the test and Vlad would had been forced to chased her down and set a new plan into motion. But atlas, she had passed the test with bravo. She had turned her human glamour back on and returned to the deck.

She had made her choice. She had stayed.

Vlad had watched their little sentimental chat between the two ghost-hybrids with a pleased mind and made ready for the next step. The other reason he had arranged this little trip and now sedated the female.

He had used his time carefully watching them since the truce with Daniel and made some small preparations. He picked up a new invention of his and placed it on the bedside table.

He had tried making a less damaging version of his Plasmius-Maximus and succeeded, but the name was still missing. Maybe the Plasmius-medium?

He had to figure that out later.

He took her bracelets-less arm and turned the underside of the elbow up, before cleaning it with some rubbing alcohol. All those years spend in hospital had made him quite an expert when it came to needles and if she had been conscious, she probably wouldn’t have felt a thing.

He watched as the syringe pressed into the grey vein and was filled with her ghost forms natural ectoplasm, but could already conclude by observation, that the color was way too dark and thick to be healthy.

He packed the sample away and pressed the invention to her arm. The soft impulse didn’t shook her like the Plasmius-maximus, but made her arm return to its human form, while the rest of her remained ghost.

The grey color corrupting her natural brown tan and visible damaged skin made him grit his teeth.

If she hadn’t already made the incompetent ghost and former slave master to Linda Runner suffer a punishment worse than death, he would have gutted the former slave-mistress himself.

Leaving a hybrid caged in her undead form for five years, was no better than caging a living human being inside the carcass of a dead horse. You could survive, but only for so long and only with huge amounts of heavy medication and force.

Only willpower and her fast healing powers had made her survive this long. A prisoner to her undead body and decaying corpse. Both forms forcing each’s sick fluid around a pulsing organ, that could die out any minute.

The skin broke too easy under the new needle and lymphatic fluid reached the syringe, before the actual human blood. It wasn’t as thick as the ectoplasm had been, but the color was off to.

The blood cells had taken a darker hue and carried a smell that was both sweet and worryingly. He stored the samples away and packed the two tubed securely into the field kit and cleaned the little puncture he had inflicted her.

Plasmius reminded him that it didn’t matter, since it wouldn’t really heal no matter what he did right now and she wouldn’t notice anyway. He ignored the voice of his ghost-half and cleaned her up with disinfecting tissues and cream.

As soon as the invention was removed, white skin took over brown-greyish and she was once again in her full ghost form. The long pink hair laid around her head like a waterfall, just ready to spill over the bedsides.

He took a strand of her hair and admired the natural waves. Not many women these days owned or took the time to keep their hair that long. He couldn’t remember ever seeing a woman in person with such a length, that wasn’t either a wig or extensions.

He liked it.

Plasmius packed the last of his equipment and made ready to leave. He stopped at the door and gave the sleeping woman one last look. Her decision had hurt her deeply, but it was the best for all parts.

She had passed the final test.

It was time for him to work on a cure.


	30. Then the fire nation attacked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!   
> A little heads up - my exams will be coming up in december and last until end of january, so if there's no new update, you'll know why   
> but don't worry - i'm not giving up on my fics, i'm only getting started =D   
> hope you enjoy and leave a comment if you feel like it
> 
> * * *

“I can’t believe Dash is gay now!”

Danny, Sam and Tucker watched the group of people surrounding Baxter, from their common cafeteria table. They had barely returned from summer break, before Dash had become the word on everyone’s lips and phones.

Dash looked more than just confident at his table, even though the rest of his football team seemed a little destressed.

“So... you’re like...into us guys now?” one of them asked worried, making most of the team members share a doubtful gaze, but Dash handled him without a sweat, “relax guys, I’m not like that. I’m not into you just because you guys.”

The entire team looked at each other in alarm, “wait – you’re not? What’s wrong with us? We’re not attractive or something?”

Danny facepalmed. It had been the same show the entire morning and every popular female on the premises had been swooning around Dash, like possessive, but retarded flies around honey. Paulina and Star looked as if they were ready to fight each other any second now.

“Forget it, Star! He was my best male friend first, it’s only fair that he’s my gay best friend now!”

“But he’s promised to go shopping and help me select a new wardrobe this evening!”

Dash just laughed it off and did the gay move with his hand, “hey, there’s no need for us to fight in public, we can all go shopping and get manicure later.”

All the girls cheered and the football team seemed to realize they would have better chance with the girls if they continued hanging out with the quarterback and settled at the table.

Tucker threw his empty juicebox after the trash bin, “that’s so unfair! Why didn’t I think of that? – he’s swimming in chicks now!”

“Actually,” Sam implored positive, “I think that this is great. If one of the popular kids can come out of the closet and be accepted, other kids lower in the school hierarchy can to and wouldn’t be bullied for it.”

“Maybe this is your chance, dude,” Tucker joked and Danny let out a grunt of discomfort as an elbow was jammed into his side, “gay is only one acceptable species away from half-ghost, right?”

Danny gave him a foul look, “thanks, Tuck – but my kind of closet-problem doesn’t get a theme parade when we jump out of it – we get chased back into the closet by ghostbusters.”

Sam snickered, “chill out, Danny. Jazz didn’t help Dash jump out of the closet just to spite you. She’s actually helping him – and probably you to. Now that Dash can be more himself and less pressed by society, he will probably stop bully you and be such a jerk.”

“Hey straights!”

They all looked up to see a pink water balloon thrown their way. It hit Danny square in the face and drenched him to the bone. Dash laughed a long with the A-listers, “tell your sister to bring cappuccino for my next therapy session Friday, hetro-boy!”

Sam watched Danny making himself tangible to get dry when no one was watching, “or maybe not.”

“Great,” Tucker pouted, "we’re still at the bottom of the food chain and now further away from all the beautiful girls in the school. This area has no singles dying to meet me."

He suddenly realized what he just said and turned to Sam with an sheepish face, “not that you not…eh you know…”

“I get it,” she sneered and flicked his nose, “just marry your stupid PDA already, nerd.”

“Or better yet,” he said and pulled said PDA from his backpack, “I could find someone on the internet! If Dash insists on ruling the chicks of the school, I’m just gonna expand my hunting fields. Hello global beauties!”

The other two ignored him and returned to the last of their lunch and stacks of old worn books, Danny flipped a page and closed the book, when it proved useless.

“Have you come up with something useful to heal Arianna yet?” Danny asked and bite into one of his homed made cookies.

Sam shook her head and pushed back her stack of books from her favorite occult bookstore on the table in favor of her laptop, “I have tried reading all kinds of old ghost spells and myths, there’s to find in Skulk and Lurk, but there’s nothing about healing ghosts, Danny. Maybe I should just follow Tuckers vison and search on the internet instead, sort my way through fake wicca junk and made-ups. Maybe there’s actually something there that for real – You never know.”

“Maybe,” Danny retorted doubtful and fiddled with his sandwich, “I search around dad’s old inventions in the shed, but haven’t found anything either. None of their old inventions seems to do anything else than harm ghosts. Or half-ghost in this case. I tried asking my dad about it yesterday, but he just laughed and asked me why anyone would want to heal a ghost.”

“ _Ouch,_ ” Sam winced in sympathy, “what about that stuff you gave Dani, when she started dissolving into ectoplasm?”

“Tried. But the Ecto-Dejecto I sneaked into the pancake dough this morning just made Arianne’s hair shiny and thicker. It didn’t have an effect on her human form what so ever!”

He’d had great hope for that solution, but was proven wrong, when he walked past the bathroom this morning and caught a glimpse of Arianna in front of the mirror.

She had changed her hand back for a moment to study it and to Danny it only seemed worse than the first time he had seen her death like hand.

“Got it!”

They both turned in surprised to face Tucker, “really? What did you get?”

“A date in five minutes!” he replied cheery and ignored their sour looks, “what?”

“Could you focus, Tucker? We need a solution for Arianna, if we want her to stick around much longer,” Sam sighed.

“Then why not go to the Ghost zone? Frostbite must know something,” he pointed out and took one of Danny’s book about supernatural studies.

Danny scuffed, “and risk getting caught by the Cube?”

“Hey, it was just an idea,” Tucker retorted deprecating and starting packing. Danny sat up, “wait, where you going? Class is that way?”

“And my dates in the other – I see you two later!”

Sam watched as their friend walked out the door of the cafeteria and closed her laptop with a sigh, “I think he’s right, Danny. This is beyond anything we know and Frostbite is as good as any help we can get by now.”

“Frostbite is on the other side of the Ghost zone, Sam,” Danny groaned and massaged his tired temples, “it takes me a day to get out there, if the zone is laying low and this time we have the Cube to deal with. I can’t risk bringing her back to the zone and get caught, and we can’t exactly bring Frostbite and his equipment here either. And let’s just say we get out there without the Cube catching us, then what if he can’t help her? It would have been for nothing.”

“Well there's only one way to find out,” Sam pointed out and packed her books away, “but whatever we do, we should probably get her in on it. It's pretty hard healing someone without letting them know, don’t ya think?”

Danny knew what she meant, but going to Arianna and ask her about her none-healing human form was something he wanted to propone to after they had found a solution.

There was something about asking her that would it all a little too real, to close and maybe even too hurtful. Hearing the problem from her own mouth would be like hearing a patient admit they was incurable.

Danny felt a knot form in his guts and followed Sam to class.

Mr. Lancer made no comment when he found Tucker’s seat empty the next two hours and nether Sam or Danny felt like coming up with an excuse for him.

They walked home without any sign of him either and Danny checked his phone for messages again, “well, the date must’ve be a success, ‘cause he hasn’t called for backup by now.”

“Or maybe he’s dead,” Sam said grimly and rolled her purple eyes, “seriously, what kind of people is stupid enough to give up their identity and coordinates to a complete stranger, for the fragile promise of dinner and further relationship? Don’t people have more self-respect these days?”

Danny couldn’t help but laugh at that, “self-respect? We’re talking about Tucker here.”

They both looked up to the sound of a destress yell. The turned around as the sound of giant wings rushed past them and Danny forced Sam to lay down on the concrete.

They were both laid in shadow as a dragon passed the street above their heads and continued its flight with its prey in a safe claw.

“Tucker!” Sam yelled, but the blue dragon was already out of their sight and with that their friend. Danny transformed on the second and grabbed Sam before chasing the dragon.

The blue reptile was easy to catch up to and he spotted it on the route to his house, “what’s Dora doing!? I thought we were allies?”

“Clearly not anymore!” Sam replied and pointed at Fenton Works, “looks like she came through your portal! She must have opened it or something – but how?”

Neither of them knew Jack Fenton had been sleep walking the night before and mistaken the Fenton portal for the fridge. He had been thoughtful enough in his sleep to close it again, but not before a certain princess had got though in a rush of fire and the element of surprise.

Making the entire ghost besiege right outside the portal lose their shit, after so many months of silent waiting. Needless to say the Cube was furious.

Both Danny and Sam turned intangible and invisible while followed her inside Fenton Works, and Danny speeded up, as she dived and phased down and into the lab. Both Maddie and Jack was down there, making preparations for new inventions and studying a new blueprint on the table.

They both shuddered, as the invisible dragon passed right through them and disappeared into the ghost zone as the portal opened for a second.

“Chilly,” Jack remarked a little confused and closed the portal with a password, “must be ghost wind or something.”

Danny hit the portal-door head first and dropped Sam.

Maddie turned around in confusion, “Sam? How long have you been down here?”

She looked around, “and where’s Danny?”

“Uhm… I-I uhm...” Sam stuttered while making sure all her bones was unbroken. She looked around for help and tried spotting Danny, but he seemed to have kept his invisibility despite the crash, “he’s just…”

“Playing hide and seek!” Danny exclaimed from under one of the lab counters and laughed forced, “we’re just messing around and will be going home to Sam’s place to study – bye!”

He dragged her up the stairs and they ran to the kitchen.

“This is bad,” he said and looked around for a solution, “Tucker is in the ghost zone and my parents in in the way!”

“Relax! We just have to go in after him and get him back, without your parents finding out we took the speeder again and left for the ghost zone.”

Danny groaned and examined the dent that had started to form on his forhead, “and right now while I’m wanted nr. 1 in most of the zone to – we can’t bring Arianna – she would get hunted down the minute she –”

“The minute _she_ what?”

They both jumped and turned around. Nightshade stood behind them with an open cereal package, that she ate straight from with a curious expression. Danny had all forgot they had Fruitloops in the house.

Danny and Sam shared a fast glace.

“Uhm…yeah, thing is me and Danny was kinda going to... to uhm... the outer town,” Sam began unsure, looking for inspiration and found a pot of flowers, “to see this cool field of wild flowers?”

“Y-yeah,” Danny added and placed a hand on Sam’s shoulder, “I've found this special field I wanted to show Sam and you know, like a two-person thingy…"

Arianna looked at them in confusion, but then lighted up like a Christmas tree, “ohh…you two are going to hang out? _Alone_.”

Sam was going to protest a little, but Danny stopped her with a hand over her mouth, “yeah, and I told her you would probably help us, by looking after my parents while were out, 'cause we're going to take the specter-speeder – so they don’t ruin it or something.”

She gasped with an excited smile and gave them thumps up with a grin, “will do – you just want me to keep them busy for some hours and away from the lab, right?”

“You got it!” Sam laughted forced and they both smiled like idiots.

“Okay – you two have fun!” she said cheery and went down the basement. Both Maddie and Jack returned from the lab, clearly possessed and placed themselves in the couch, before turning on the TV like two robots.

Nightshade followed them to the living room and waved happily before turning invisible and moved to the kitchen.

Danny and Sam sneaked down the stairs and ran for the lab before jumping into the Specter-speeder. They already knew where Tucker might had been kidnap to and sat the coordinates, before leaving through the portals launching settings.

Back upstairs the Fenton couple shook their heads in confusion and tried remembering what they were doing in the living room. Jack suddenly lighted up.

“Well looks like we’re all to our self again, Maddie – you know what that _means_.”

Maddie made a pleased sound and Nightshade sat up in the chair inside the kitchen with alarm. Oh god, they weren’t going to…?

“Second match of checkers!” he yelled and ran for the board game. Both women sighed, one in annoyance and on in relief.

(Lucky for Danny and Sam, Vlad was to busy studying Arianna's blood down his lab, to take notice of what the spybugs was currently showing at the screen behind him to interfere. He would later get a semi heart-attack from the sight of the teens stupidity and plan a way to prevent them from visiting the zone again.)

-

The specter-speeder found the location of the medieval castle of Aragon alright, but neither Danny or Sam was sure they were in the right place.

The old dead forest and moat, that had been surrounding the castle, was nowhere to be seen. Instead a green forest and park facilities reached the eye and even the castle looked more fresh and modern.

“Wow, Dora have really done something with this place,” Sam noted a mix of confusion and admiration, and Danny just nodded. After the defeat of her jerky brother prince Aragon, the castle had been freed from the dark ages and time had flow freely again.

Even technology could work on the premises now, that including the speeder. They continued to the castle and was meet by the sight of ghost in modern patrol guard uniforms and stalls at the entrance.

Even the ghost in their normal medieval clothing, wore a least headphones or typed on their phones. The streets had lamppost now and a ghost kid passed them on a scooter.

They parked the speeder in one of the free parking lots outside the castle and looked around for any sign of their friend.

Danny scratched his head, “weird. It’s like a mix of two time settings.”

“Not as weird as this,” Sam said with a deadpan and he turned to her and the wall she stood by. Different posters and advertisement hang loosely around, but one big poster had been plastered over the rest recently.

The other ghost on the street crowded around them and the poster and cheered loudly.

_Royal wedding announcement._

_Subjects and people of Princess Dorathea’s lair, it is with great honor and happiness,_

_that we will be witnessing the coronation and wedding of our beloved princess and her newly chosen spouse._

_Long live the new Queen Dorathea and King Tucker._

_\- This Sunday._

“Not again,” Danny sighed. He thought they had taught prince Aragon a lesson, when he kidnapped Sam to marrying him, but apparently, the princess needed to be corrected to.

It kinda comforted Danny little to see there weren’t any wanted posters with his or Nightshades name on anywhere on the wall, but it hardly meant they were safe around here.

Both Danny and Sam had expected it, but had nevertheless been startled by the large group of Cube ghosts, who had been waiting for them on the other side of the portal.

The besiege however, seemed to have been split into two and their defenses seemed damaged, after Dora had burned most of it down. The majority of the ghosts had gone after Dora, to Danny and Sam's great luck, which meant only a minority had persecuted them in their escape deeper into the zone.

The speeder’s cannon and Danny ecto-blats had quickly slowed them enough for them to get away, but Danny wasn’t entirely sure of how they would get home again later. Danny forced himself to focus on the present. They had to find Tucker.

He grabbed Sam’s hand, “come on.”

They turned invisible and flew to the towers of the castle, trying to find a clue about Tucker’s position and maybe the room he could be being held in.

“I think I was captured in that one,” Sam said a little unsure and they peaked inside. A bunch of ghost was busy making preparations for the wedding, but there was no Tucker in sight.

They continued to the next window and climbed into an empty room with an open window. Even the inside of the castle had been modernizing and mixed up with the old style.

Danny made sure they didn’t get caught by keeping them invisible and they ran from room to room. They both stopped as they stepped into a chamber filled with gold and treasures.

“Wow,” Danny whistled and walked in, “looks like dragons really do have hoarding problems. Someone should call MTV.”

“Hey, take a look at this.” Sam had walked up to a cabinet of glass and pointed to a medallion that looked a lot like the one that had turned Dora into a dragon. Danny walked up to her side and opened the cabinet.

Hundreds of different jewelry and medallions lay side by side and showed different stoned and chains. Sam picked one up and turned it over, “says on the backside it gives eternal beauty. Soo old school.”

She rolled her eyes, clearly bored and turned to the other treasures, but Danny stayed at the cabinet. He picked another one of the medallions up and read on the backside. This one promised to give strength like teen men, while the next one claimed to bestowed wisdom.

Danny searched them all one by one and finally found what he had hoped to find. It was a clear white stone, with the inscriptions on the backside:

_The stone of healing and health, cure for the shifting body and soul._

Danny’s eyes widened in hope. Maybe this was what he had been looking for. Dora’s dragon medallion had worked both on human and ghosts, so this one could probably work on both species as well.

He knew it was stealing, but promised himself he would return it when Arianna had healed completely.

“Hey, Danny, you coming or what?”

Danny stuck the medallion in his cloak and turned to her with an innocent face, “sure.”

The continued down the long corridors and continued the search for Tucker, when the shadow of a dragon showed up at the end of the hall. A great black dragon moved into the hall and caught sight of them with smoking nostrils and bared teeth.

“MEDIUM COOCKED!” it roared furiously and breathed a blast fire. Danny dragged Sam in behind a pillar and turned to the dragon with a shot, “hey Aragon! The 11-century called, they want their tights back!”

The dragon’s eyes widened in rage and lashed out after Danny.

He ran from Sam’s hiding spot and lured the dragon to the other side of the corridor. A blast of fire was send his way and Danny dodged and fired a ecto-blast after the dragon, while it returned the favor with a hit of its large tail.

Danny was toppled by the tail and Sam jumped out of her hiding with her ecto-guns drawn and fired. The dragon opened its mouth to roar, but shallowed her ecto-shot instead. Its eyes started to water and it coughed violently.

Danny hit it with a final punch and the large lizard took three pillars with it in the fall. They were ready to get some answers out of the prince, when the dragon started to shrink, but instead of a ghost prince, an unconscious Tucker appeared.

“Tucker!” Danny and Sam yelled in panic and tried waking him up again. The geek groaned from their harsh ministration and touched his hurt head in confusion. He looked around, dazed, “did I black out during Taco-Tuesday again?”

Both Sam and Danny was relived to find him save and grabbed him under the arms, “no time talking, we gotta get you out of here, man!”

“What? Why?”

“Because Dora is gonna marrying you!” Sam yelled and punched the door in front of them open.

Alle three stopped dead and stared. The dining hall was filled to the rim with ghosts and non-other than the princess awaited them in a wide wedding gown.

Tucker smiled and got out of their grip, “I know! Welcome to my wedding, guys!”

-

Twenty minutes later they were all seated and the grand feast had begun. Sam and Danny had been seated by Tucker’s side at the end of the table, where he towered in the big dragon styled throne and was being spoon-feed by his bride to be.

“So let me get this straight,” Sam said and pushing the servant away, that kept trying to feed her meat, “Dora proposed to you and you just left with her willingly, with a scream of excitement?”

Both Dora and Tucker laugh like lovebirds and the bride clung to his arm, “isn’t, it wonderful? He’s going to be my husband and king, which will fulfill my duty as princess and make me the queen of this kingdom and finally bring it of its last curse.”

“So you’re forced to marry him?” Sam asked with disgust, “you just have to marry someone, like anyone?”

Tucker gave her a nasty look, but Dora just laughed like Sam had told her a joke, “well yes, but as the ruler I can chose my own king and who would be a better husband and ruler to my kingdom, than the brave friend of the great Danny Phantom and a human with knowledge of modern living?”

“That’s right,” Tucker added pleased and had his feet massaged by two servants, “I have helped bringing this place out of the dark ages with a lot of new improvements. Television, phones, internet connection, PDA’s and all the meat my subjects can eat,” he said and put an arm around Dora, “plus I’m finally with the woman of my dreams and getting a little appreciation – sounds like a win-win situation for me, am I right?”

Danny could see what he meant. Tucker didn’t look like he was forced to marry anyone and both he and Dora seemed pretty sweet together. All the ghost around the table was celebrating and the whole kingdom seemed happy about a human king.

The only thing that Danny wasn’t so sure about was the medallion around Tucker’s neck.

“Do you have to wear that thing?”

“You mean this?” Tucker noted and pouted to the medallion, “well yeah, it’s the sign of my authority as king and its making me a dragon to, pretty neato.”

“No, not _neato_ ,” Sam snapped and grabbed it, “I tried wearing one to and it’s only making you go crazy over stupid things. Where’s Aragon anyway?”

Tucker made her let go with force, “if you wanna know, his on the run and who needs him anyway? I’m going to marry Dora and become the king; this is my medallion now!”

Sam moved out of his reach as his eyes became cleaved as a reptiles and his tongue turned forked. Danny put himself in between, “easy Tucker, whatever you say, man.” 

That seemed to cool him down and he relaxed back into the chair and Dora’s embrace, “that’s right. Whatever I say – and I have new announcements!” he said and raised his voice for all to hear. 

“My first rule as king will be that all my rules are law and to be followed anytime I say so. Kingdom of Tucker has no snake policy and miniskirt Friday – free meatloaf at all times!”

All the ghosts cheered and Dora clapped excited, “so modern!”

“Let’s just hit him with something and drag him home,” Sam whispered irritated, but Danny wasn’t so sure.

“I don’t know, Sam…wouldn’t that be a dick move?”

“Tucker plus power, equals dick move, Danny. This is all king Duul Aman over again!”

Danny sighed, “fine – hey Tucker!”

He turned to his friend and placed a hand on his shoulder, “sorry to tell you this, but you’re too young to get married and your mother would never allow it. She’s at least sixteen hundred years older than you.”

He and Sam grabbed an arm each and began to drag him to the entrance. Tucker protested and the let go as scales appeared all over Tuckers skin, “but I want to be **_KING!_** ”

Tuckers body changed in shape as it grew in size and form, before finally standing in front of them as the great black dragon. It howled at them and the halls guests, who ran for cover and safety.

The dragon send fire towards the celling and lounged for the roof. The fire had created a hole and Tuckers power and raw force made it even bigger, as he crawled through it and ending up on top of the castle, where it sat fire to the nearby surroundings.

Danny followed him and started shooting at him, to make him stop the senseless destruction.

Sam watched the fight through the hole in the celling with a sigh and turned to Dora, “this is so déjà vu – but seriously, Dora. His too young for you – can’t you wait like two years or something?”

Dora made a hopeless expression and took of her crown with a sigh of defeat, “I am afraid not. The tradition says that a princess can’t rule the kingdom without a king by her side and if one isn’t found before this week is over, I could lose my kingdom to my brother again. I can’t do that to my subjects.”

Sam gave her a look, “seriously? After all the modern improvements and accomplishments, you’ve done with this place? I’m surprised you still follow those old rules – modern twenty centuries kingdoms have single female rulers, you know. You don’t need a king; you just need some more self-respect.”

-

Danny shot one of his ice beams at Tucker and made him collide with the trees. Tucker responded by throwing the falling trees after him and set them on fire, “I WANT TO BE KING!”

“Yeah, I got that the first five times you yelled it, dude. But if you want the crown, I can’t let you wear it with that accessory!”

Tucker tried grabbing him, but Danny got under his claw and grabbed the medallion. As soon as it was removed, Tucker started shrinking and returned to his human form.

Danny finally thought it was over, when Tucker tackled him and they rolled around in the dirt, fighting for the medallion.

Dora and Sam walked up to them and the princess coughed to get their attention, “I hold that in custody for now,” and took the medallion.

She turned to her subjects, who had gathered around them now that the danger was over and Dora made sure everyone could hear her, “my dear kingdom. It is with great sorrow that I cancel the wedding.”

_“What!?”_ Tucker squeaked and she turned to him with a smile in apology, “I’m sorry, but your comrades are right. You’re a minor, we will have to wait till you of age.”

She returned to her speech, “for the same reasons, I will no longer be your princess…or queen.”

Many of the ghosts gasped or wept in shock and despair, but she stopped them with a move with her hand, “but as the modern kingdom I now stand for, I will declarer myself president instead!”

Nobody seemed to know what that was, but it sounded modern and no one had any objections, so they just cheered. Danny turned to Sam with a whisper, “isn’t a president supposed to be elected?”

“She doesn’t need to know that,” she whispered back and clapped along with the crowd that hailed their new president. Danny just shrugged and went along, until the next problem hit him like a brick wall.

“Dammit, how do we get home with that army of ghosts waiting for us?”

“There’s a spontaneous ghost portal popping up every third year in Dora’s rosegraden, opening right over the Nasty Burger,” Tucker grumbled, face still down in the dirt, where he wallowed in his despair.

Danny and Sam helped him up and started leading him back to the speeder.

“How come she didn’t just use that to see you in the first place?” Sam asked a little confused and Tucker sniffed anguished, “the queen must show her devotion to her king, by overcome any danger standing between their love…or something,” he finished and broke down in sobs.

Both his friends feel bad for him and patted him comfortingly on the shoulder, “it’s okay man, you be 18 in two years or less. You’ll be her Fist-man in no time.”

The trip back to the human world went surprisingly easy. Tucker continued to be a mess, so they brought him home where he could sleep the heartbreak and meat of, before school next day.

Danny got home in time to find his mother making a winner dance in front of his sulking father and found that the invisible Nightshade had watched them the whole time from a floating position and a bowl with popcorn. She followed him to his bedroom.

“Your mom is a riot,” she laughed and offered him some popcorn, “had fun with Sam?”

“It was a blast,” he said and collapsed on the bed, “a fire blast that is.”

She left to let him sleep and Danny felt something poking his ribs. His hand found the cold medallion from Dora’s treasure chamber and Danny ran a trump over the smooth white stone.

He had a cure.


	31. No god! No god, please no! No! No! Noooooo!!!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if anyone's still reading this, you're amazing  
> this chapter is inspired from a deleted scene from the show, I think?  
> if anyone know where the drawings for the deleted scene is I like to see them again  
> hope you enjoy - comments is always appreciated
> 
> * * *

Two weeks had passed since the dragon incident and Tucker had gotten past his heartbreak.

The geek had soon gotten better with lots of comfort from his friends and had returned to his next passion. His technology.

“And I guess we can keep Dora on the alliance list,” he told Arianna offhandedly like he didn’t care at all and scrolled though the list of Danny’s digital ghost profiles.

She stopped him at Embers profile, “that’s a bad picture, use one of her press-photos or selfies, that one is too bad to be allowed to exist.”

“They’re not supposed to look good,” Danny corrected over his lunch and leaned back against the tree.

They had camped out in the park and enjoyed Arianna’s basket of home cooked meals, now that no ghosts seemed to felt like bugging them today.

“They’re like mugshots. It’s just for real profiling. Helps us fight them better.”

“It’s still a bad angel,” she noted and pointed to the little green ghost in the corner, “why is the number ‘19’? It’s not their age or page number. Skulker’s number is 4, what does it mean?”

“It’s the order in which Danny had meet them,” Sam informed from her spot under the parasol. It wasn’t exactly hot outside or the sun bathing season anymore, but she couldn’t take any chances.

“Actually, we should get you a profile,” Tucker added and made a new profile slot, “you wanna fill it yourself, or should I?”

Arianna snatched the PDA from him and deleted it, “no way. I’m not sitting her waiting for Skulker to restore my bag and privacy, just so you guys can make a new profile for the world to see.”

“But it’s only for us,” Danny replied and bite into his chicken sandwich.

“And what if the Guys in White gets their hands on it or your parents? I’m not filling a page of weaknesses for them to work with,” she winced and thought back on some of the stuff she had witness the Fenton’s do down in that basement.

Danny rolled his eyes, “come on, it’s just a profile.”

“Did you make a profile of yourself?”

“Touché,” he hummed and she closed the PDA with a smile, “anyway, I was going to wait to tell you guess this till class tomorrow, but the annual senior prom is coming up.”

“So?” Sam asked, “we’ve know that for weeks now, it’s not gonna be different from than we were freshmen’s.”

“Well that’s the thing,” Arianna smiled, “it’s going to be different for your class only, you’re getting a special afterparty when the prom closes. You people is the most documented class to get attacked by ghost of the entire school, so the principle has decided that your chances of surviving until graduation is small and will add some of the school’s money to give you some little extra.”

Tucker got his PDA back from Arianna and whistled, “wow that’s honestly brutal – and pretty sweet. We’re going to rule prom!”

“You guys is the only ones allowed to continuing part after the official prom closes. If you ask me, you should find a partner outside of school or in your own class. Think you can find partners with such short notice?” Arianna asked and Tucker wiggled his eyebrows at her, she scoffed, “sorry Tucker, but I’m your teacher. I’m going to be a chaperone at the dance, not your date.”

Tucker sighed defeated and turned to his PDA, “at least I still have you.”

Danny felt the tension between him and Sam immediately and sat up. He hadn’t given prom night a single thought, to busy finding a cure for Arianna and fighting the ghosts who had been trying to force entry though the portal.

Both Arianna and Tucker acted as if they didn’t feel the awkward silence and tried to act natural while listening in. Danny shook the nervousness of him, made sure he still had the class-ring in his left pocket and turned to Sam, who had been watching him closely.

Probably thinking about their last prom night back when they were freshmen.

“Uhm…Sam would you...?”

“Danny!”

They all looked up as Valerie Grey ran up to them. Tucker facepalmed and Arianna winced on behalf of Danny, “not good…”

Valerie didn’t seem to get the bad timing vibe and smiled brightly. Danny noticed she had gotten all her hair styled into a lot of long braids. It suited her along with the jeans she had started to wear instead of skirts.

“Hey guys! Saw you from the other side of the park and…” she stopped herself at the sight of Arianna, “Miss. Shade?”

Arianna praised herself lucky that she decided to keep the red wig on today and smiled awkwardly. Valerie rose her perfect eyebrow and eyed the little picnic with a curios expression, “are you guys having an afterschool class right now or…?”

“I was just receiving some classroom keys, that Danny had borrowed,” Arianna hurried to explain with an overly cheery voice and stood up, “remember we have a test tomorrow and I fail you if you dare to skip class – bye!”

Valerie look after her as she ran and sat down, “wow, I thought it was just a rumor, that you people hang out with a teacher. That’s the deal?”

“Hey, she’s cool,” Danny defended and finished his sandwich, “she have just told us our class is going to get a party after prom this year. Pretty sweet.”

Valerie blinked, “really? I that case, have you guys found partners yet?”

Sam was on her toes immediately, “maybe,” she replied threatening and Danny look from one to another in deep confusion. Tucker just shook his head with a knowing smile. Danny really was clueless.

Valerie just shrugged it off and stood up to make her farewell, “in any case, I just wanted to say hey – I catch you later. See ya!”

Danny waved after her and got a nasty look from Sam in return, “what?”

The goth just grumbled, took her things, and left. Danny starred after her, utter confused “what was that about?”

“Dude, you so clueless.”

-

Danny found himself at home in his room, when his thoughts snapped out of ways he could have offended Sam and returned to the stolen medallion.

He turned to lie on his back and pulled out the jewelry from his back pocket. Admired the medallion for a while as it danged from his hand. The white stone looked innocent enough and the inscriptions seemed promising.

_The healing stone, cure for the shifting body and soul._

He had been afraid it might hold some side effects and tried it on himself, but either you had to be hurt or something, because it hadn’t done anything to him. No healing, no turning into a dragon, no curses. Nothing.

He had taken that as a good sign and tried coming up with a way to make Arianna wear it. She had declined all his other discreet attempts to help her and every time he opened his mouth to ask her if she was healed, she had just smiled and changed subject.

He sighed and watched the shine gem. In the end, he had decided not to tell her about the medallion or its powers. She would probably keep it to herself, if she found out about it anyway and refuse to return it back to Dora.

Arianna could be such a thief.

Danny sighed heavily and let the medallion fall to the mattress. He could always tell her it was a gift or something. That was better than just force it on her while she slept and risk feeling her wrath.

He was pretty sure you were supposed to wear it around your neck, since it was a medallion with a silver chain and all. Slipping it into her pocket probably wouldn’t work.

Danny scowled and turned back on his stomach. Getting a girl to wear a jewelry seemed like the smallest of his problems right now.

When they had left the portal to rescue Tucker, they had been forced to turn on the invisible force field to get behind a guarding group of ghosts, that sat around the portal. It was clear that there had been more of them, but that it had thinned out at some point.

The majority of the small army had follow Dora and left a smaller porting for the to fight, but it had still been a risk to fight that many at once. Dany was pretty sure they were ghosts from the Cube, actually more than sure, he was certain.

He guessed he should be thankful that he could still move unharmed in the territory where his allied ruled, but how long would that last if the Cube went after them to?

He didn’t know.

Skulker and the shade was still missing and they haven’t heard a word about Arianna’s bag. She couldn’t tell anything her shade saw and would first know something the moment it was destroyed or merge back into her again.

Since the shade was still intact and haven’t returned without Skulker, they could assume that he was still hunting the bag and its content.

The next question of the evening was what the hell Vlad was up to. Danny haven’t heard a word from the man since the cruise and it was almost as if it had never happened. Arianna still hadn’t meet him and Danny had kept Vlad’s a secret as a halfa.

They were back to basic.

Who wasn’t back to basic, was apparently Sam. Ever since Valerie had said hey, Sam had been irritated and when he mentioned prom she would just give him that look and leave. He hadn’t even got the chance to ask her out yet!

And prom was tomorrow…

He glanced to his closet, where his suit was hanging. He had been forced to buy a new one, since he had grown out of the old grey one. He wondered if Sam would wear something similar to that dress she wore those years ago.

It had really showed her more feminine side and her hair had looked beautiful. They had danced the last dance together and to Danny, it had been perfect. It was one of his happiest memories. He hoped to make some this time to.

This time there would be no Paulina.

No dragon medallions and no ghost attacks. Just them, the prom and the final dance.

He nodded in content and closed his fist around the medallion, “but first we got to get you to Arianna and get her healed.”

-

_“But first we got to get you to Arianna and get her healed.”_

Vlad had been busy working these days and had found less and less time to watch the screens of Fenton Works. After Daniel and his crazy head dive into the ghost zone last month, Vlad had made some slight changes and made sure at least one of his duplicates would attend the screens at all times.

Today Vlad had taken the time to sit down with a book and relax with a cup of tea. Daniel was a wild boy, but surely even he would only make such commotions once a month.

Vlad sighed, content that things would be a little quiet until a couple of weeks. It had been his first real break from human work and lab experimentations in months and he allowed himself a second of peace.

That’s why he almost choked on his evening tea, when one of his duplicates warned him of the transmitted words though their shared mind. Vlad coughed and hurried to grab his laptop.

He tuned in on the picture of Danny on his bed and zoomed to study the medallion in the boy’s hand.

“The healing stone of Titania?” he asked surprised, bewildered that such a rare and famous artifact would end up in the hands of a teenager.

He quietly reminded himself that this wasn’t the first time Daniel had acquired a thing like this and dragged a hand down his tired face, as he recalled the infi-map incident.

With the embarrassing memory of being turned onto a frozen statue in mind, Vlad left his living room and moved to his library. He made two duplicate as he turned into Plasmius, to cover more bookshelves and finally found the book he was looking for.

He reached the right chapter and an illustration of the medallion appeared. He didn’t know how or when, but Daniel had found the legendary medallion made by the immortal fairy queen Titania.

Vlad skimmed the page and read with growing concern. It had been lost for centuries and according to the legend, it should apparently hold power to heal any wound and cure any sickness of its carrier.

Vlad had wanted it for his collection for years and even had a little spot open in his safe box for it in case he found it. And now he had.

But what wasn’t part of his plans for the medallion, was the fact that Daniel was going to use it on the female hybrid. Vlad sighed. Seems that Daniel had come to discovered, that everything wasn’t as perfect as it appeared, when Arianna had talked to him back at the cruise ship.

Clever boy.

And now he was going to use it on her and try saving the day.

Vlad couldn’t have that. He checked the rest of the book for information and closed it shut. He had to get the medallion away from Daniel, before he gave it to her.

He pulled out his phone and called his private jet. He was going back to Amity park.

-

Danny bite his lip as he tried to help Tucker bind his butterfly and gave up when he ended up making a knot instead. Tucker just smiled and did it himself in front of the mirror, while Danny sat back on his bed.

“How come you know how to do it?”

Tucker raised his chin I pride, “all gentlemen must know how to do that stuff, man – that and my mother taught me. I think women just know stuff like this by birth.”

Danny sighed and tussled the hair his mother had tried taming with a comb. Guess who won. Danny felt like women was the root to all his problems right now and made sure he still had the medallion in his pocket.

“Women is a lot of thing by birth,” he grumbled and gave up on his own butterfly, when a thought occurred to him, “uhm Tucker…are you going with, Sam?”

“Me?” Tucker asked surprised and laughed, “oh man you so clueless – I’m going with a very special lady, you meet her at the dance.”

“You actually got a date this year?”

“And this time, I’m going to make it to the final dance,” the geek said assure of himself and straighten his smoking. He blinked to his reflection in the mirror, “hello handsome.”

Danny rolled his eyes, but even he had to admit Tucker looked good. Without the glasses and with styled hair gel, he looked a little older and the smoking made him a lot classier.

Danny guessed he wasn’t as bad himself, if the comments from his and Tucker’s mothers was anything to go by. His mother had even brought him a baby-blue tie to match his eyes or something and a corsage bracelet to his date, so they matched.

Danny still haven’t asked Sam, or heard anything about a guy bringing her as a date, but if it would be anything like last time she would probably want to go anyway. _Women._

-

Back at Sam’s house, Arianna ran the brush though the goth’s hair, while Sam let her mind and mouth run free, "and when he just gave Valerie those old gooey poppy eyes – have he forgot she was the one that broke up with him? What’s wrong with him!?”

 _“Men,_ ” Arianna sighed exaggerated and styled one of the black curls in her hand, “but are you sure he wants to go with that Grey girl? He was going to ask you, weren’t he?”

“He has probably already asked her,” Sam seethed in ire and emptied her beer, “and that’s just fine by me! That’s his life! I’m not bitter!” she said bitter, in a bitter tone and crushed the can. Bitterly.

Arianna rolled her eyes, laughing herself to death on the inside by all the teen drama and finished the goth’s hair, “listen Sam, if you like him so much, why not just say it?”

Sam widened her amethyst eyes, “what? Like who? What? I don’t know what you talking about.”

“You two seriously need better lying lessons. You like him, end of story.”

Sam gave her a nasty look in the mirror, but then sighed, “does it matter? He probably doesn’t like me like t–”

Arianna found a recorder from her clutch with a face of boredom and pressed play.

_“But do you like her?”_

Sam was going to ask her why she had recorded herself, when Danny’s voice followed.

_“Do you promise not to tell this to anyone?”_

There was a pause where Arianna must have nodded or otherwise shown she would and he sighed.

_“I do, I love Sam more than anything.”_

Arianna stopped the recorder and Sam stood up, “oh my god.”

“And you were saying? I’m pretty sure he likes you back, Sam.”

Sam couldn’t believe it, “hey! You promised him that you wouldn’t tell anyone.”

Arianna just rolled her eyes with a scoff, “and he promised me that he would stop leaving trash in his room, but that didn’t happen, so here we are.”

“Oh no,” Sam said and grabbed her things to ran for the door, “I screwed up! Now he probably thinks I’m not interested and his out to aske Valerie instead!”

Arianna stopped her with a grin, “oh no, he’s not. Valerie is going to prom with that Nathan guy…or Lester, whatever people calls him this year.”

“Really?” Sam had seen those two together a couple of times. Nathan…or Lester (why had she never question that fact that the kid changed name?) had grown out of his geek cocoon and actually turned kind of attractive.

He was cool now.

“Come on,” Arianna smiled and opened the door for her, “I drive you to prom and we find Danny. Tucker just texted me that Danny hopes to find you there with me.”

Sam grabbed her clutch and made sure her black satin dress was still in order. Arianna had helped her pick it out from the internet and they had decided on a gothic tight dress, with black stones in the fabric and sweetheart neckline.

Sam felt like a vampire queen in it and Arianna had styled her hair to a high wedding like style. She had to say she felt both pretty and sexy.

Arianna snapped a photo.

-

Tucker lifted his PDA as he received a message and open the photo of Sam. He nodded in approval and made sure Danny didn’t saw it. Sam should be the one to surprise him.

“Wanna ride, dude?”

Danny stuffed the corsage and medallion down to his pockets again, “why not.”

Caspar high was already deep in the party mood, when Tucker and Danny arrived. The DJ could be heard clearly from the parking lot and smokings and prom dresses filled the scene in every color possible to mankind.

Danny made his way around two seniors and tried getting an overlook. Tucker was right behind him and tried to seek out the two others as well.

Valerie and Nathan – or Lester as he wanted to be called now, Danny didn’t know exactly why – meet them as Danny and Tucker walked out on the dance floor.

Valerie had dresses up in a short gold dress with veil and rhinestones, while Lester been bold enough to dress in a white smoking and matched her with a gold tie.

“Hey guys, though you wouldn’t make it,” she greeted with a bright smile, “have you voted yet?”

“For what?” both boys yelled to be heard over the loud music and Valerie sighed by their forgetfulness, “for the prom king and queen of course! Have you guys forgotten it’s part of the prom experience!?”

Tucker blew her a raspberry, “the only queen for me, is my date – and speaking of which.” He stated waving to someone and ran into the crowd before Danny could stop him.

“I probably vote for you two,” Danny said and spotted Arianna, “sorry but I have to find my own date – nice smoking Lester.”

“Thanks,” he said, “but it’s Nathan now.”

“Whatever,” Danny retorted and moved past them. He tried calling Arianna, but she had already moved, possible looking for him and he couldn’t see Sam anywhere. He stiffed when a hand landed on his shoulder and turned around.

Danny gulped.

Sam was standing behind him in a dress that didn’t only show of all her features, but also looked smooth as the night. He felt his mouth dry out and forgot how to think. That was a very sexy and tight dress.

She shook her head with pink cheeks, “you just gonna stand there or are you gonna ask me to dance?”

Danny snapped out of his daze and took her hands, “Sam…will you be my prom date?”

She bite her lip, not wanting to show just how much she had wanted to hear those words all weeks. “Sure thing, we already here, aren’t we?”

That reminded Danny of the corsage and he started rummage his pockets, “wait a second I have something for you.”

He found the flower bracelet, but when he pulled it out the medallion followed to. Sam picked it up before he could, “is that?”

“Not Dora’s, I promise, but I found it in her castle…sorry I didn’t tell you,” he said a little ashamed and scratched his neck, while she turned it over.

“what’s it for?” she asked curios and read the inscription, “ _The healing stone?_ ”

“I think it could help Arianna, but I like to return it afterwards and you know how she is with shiny objects. Can’t let her know its magical or valuable.”

Sam grabbed his hand and tried dragging him along, “then what are we waiting for!? Let’s find her!”

“Wait,” Danny said and forced her to focus on him.

“I don’t know how, but I have probably screwed up this week, so…I got you this,” he said and placed the corsage on her wrist. Sam admired it and turned to him with a lidded smile.

“I love it.”

They both leaned in for a kiss, when Arianna’s voice could he heard nearby. Both of them snapped out of it and blushed in embarrassment.

Danny cleared his throat, “oh yeah – medallion first, then…”

“- we dance,” Sam finished and took his hand as they ran.

-

A second later, Vlad arrived at the door in his human form and used his height advantage to find his target in the sea of fancy, but horrible styled students.

This would be slow, but if he turned into Plasmius, he’d risk both Arianna and Daniel getting alarmed by their ghost sense and he would lose the element of surprise. He allowed himself to move along with the crowd and searched the dancing areal.

What he saw made him sigh with annoyance. Young people these days seemed to think that dry humping and hectic jumping on a dancefloor could be qualified as dancing, no style of finesse what so ever.

Vlad shook his head and moved along. He reminded himself that he should be looking for a red wig, since the female hybrid was still in disguise as a teacher and soon spotted the red color.

Teachers and chaperones didn’t necessary had to dress up for prom, but Arianna had come to the evening in a deep red dress, with a wide skirt, that was short in front and showed off her long legs.

It worked well with the red wig and the draped neckline, in Vlad opinion and he smirked. A fast-moving couple suddenly moved into Vlad’s vison and Vlad hurried to turn invisible in order to stay hidden from Daniel.

He followed along as the boy and Miss. Manson tried making their way through the crowd to Arianna and turned intangible as he grabbed Daniel. The boy yelped as they phased down the floor.

Sam turned around to ask him why he stopped and caught a glimpse of Danny’s feet being grabbed and phased down the floor, before he disappeared for good.

“Danny!”

The raven-haired teen turned as they ended up in the basement and kicked out of his opponents’ grasp.

Plasmius smirked down at him and Danny turned to his fighting stance, “what do you want fruitloop! This party is for young people only!”

“Always so fast with the wits, my boy. That going to get you hurt one day.”

Danny lounged at him, “then let’s call it opposite day!”

He shot a powerful ray, which Plasmius blocked easily with on hand on his back. Danny moved in on him with punches and kicks, while the older halfa just dodges and moved around him without problems.

Danny felt alarms go of in his head when Plasmius phased his hand into his pockets and jumped to get out of reach.

“Hey! What the hell!?”

“My apologies, my boy, but this one comes with me,” Vlad said with the medallion dangling from his hand and turned to leave. Danny tackled him without hesitation, not allowing his only chance to save Arianna get away and tried regaining the jewelry with teeth and nails.

“No way! I need it to save someone!”

“Of course you do,” Vlad replied in annoyance and kicked him of him, “but this is no plaything for people who doesn’t know its power, Daniel. Well that, I have a special place in my little collection for this artifact.”

“ _No!_ ” Danny yelled as Vlad was about to teleport and grabbed the older halfa’s hands.

Vlad had had enough of the boy’s childish act and tried shaking him of, “let go, Daniel.”

“I need it!”

“I told you to let go!”

The both fought to get the upper hand and Danny felt the cool white stone just under his fingertips. His eyes widened as it moved under his thumbs pressure.

“Daniel, No! If you push it -!”

A strange sensation ran though Danny’s body like cold water and made him weightless. He felt like he was lifted, but when he looked down, his body was still on the floor, fighting Plasmius.

That only made it freakier, cause Plasmius was also floating up there with him, just looking more translucent and misty than usual.

A pull of gravity sized him and Danny made ready to return to his own body like a snapping rubber band and get back to normal. But instead of pulling him back, the gravity pushed him forward and he fell down and into the fighting Plasmius.

Danny heard a groan and opened his eyes. He was still fighting for the medallion and discovered to his utter surprise, that he had the upper hand on the medallion…and that his hands were bigger now….and he was looking straight into his own face like a mirror.

His reflection blinked in confusion and scowled in an all to know and non-Danny way.

“Daniel your imbecile! You activated it!”

Danny let go in shock and caught glimpse of himself in a reflection from one of the big meat containers beside him.

Plasmius face was looking back at him in horror, “what the _hell!?_ ”


	32. *Screams loudly out of fear of the unknown*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *inhales* smell that?  
> it's the smell of stress, anxiety and students sweating in their little shoebox apartments, working on their exams  
> oh and christmas of course  
> stay focused and sane out there, I fell ya!  
> Hope you enjoy  
> leave a comment if you feel like it
> 
> * * *

The screams of a traumatized teenage boy trapped in a grown man’s body, made echo ran though the basement of Caspar high and the man inside the teens former body smacked him.

“Stop being so dramatic, Daniel! We’ve just switched bodies, not bank accounts. If you weren’t so repulsive, I could have told you – but _noooo_ , you had to push the stone, didn’t you?”

The real Danny caged in Vlad’s body, still hadn’t stopped freaking out and he grabbed his black hair, messing up the two pointy horns.

“What’s going on! I’m freaking old! I’m _you!_ ”

He started waving his arms around. They felt heavier and longer than he was used to and his voice was so weird in his own head, “the medallion is supposed to heal people, not switch their bodies!”

Said medallion was still dangling from Danny’s – scratch that – Plasmius’ hand and faked its innocence with its shiny white stone gleaming in the dark. Danny let it go, as if it had burned him and stepped away from the dangerous artifact.

Hyperventilating.

The real Vlad grabbed him, “that’s the little thing about magical objects, Daniel,” he sneered, “they come with a price and this one will heal you – by sending you into a healthy new body!”

Danny couldn’t believe this shit, “that the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard!”

Vlad pushed him of him, “yes, but this wouldn’t have come as a surprise for you, if you had studied the artifact, instead of just planned to handing it over blindly without the least sense of responsibility.”

A loud bang on the door to the basement made Vlad turn human – Danny’s human form that is – before he grabbed Danny and kicked him out of sight, “stay out of my way, while I fix this!”

Sam barged in and pointed her wrist rays in all directions, “where’s the ghost!?”

Vlad tried finding Danny’s right voice and ran past her to the door, “just the Box Ghost – let’s get out of here!”

Sam followed him a little confused, “did your voice hit puberty or something?”

The real Danny fought his way out of old boxes and carbine, “wait Sam! That's not me!”

But they were already gone. He took a step but stumbled.

“Oh man, and he took the medallion to – if I didn’t knew he loved his own face so much, I would be afraid I had to stay this way forever.”

Shaking the discomfort of that disturbing future scenario of and feeling the need for a long hot shower, he turned intangible and phased back up to the party. He hid behind a pillar, before turning human (Well… into a suit clad Vlad Masters at least) and tried spotting himself.

“Wow, Vlad really has a nice height advantage. I can practical see everyone here,” he whispered to himself and tried getting past the fact that Vlad was narrating everything he said.

He wondered if it would count as immoral if he used Vlad’s voice to confess he was a fruitloop and record it for later use…it would be nice blackmail material.

“You got some nerve coming this close to me, Masters.”

Danny turned around and found Valerie. She was clearly furious and looked like she was ready to kill him on the spot. Danny knew she was probably still mad that Vlad had used her and her ghost hunting abilities – if not played her for his own personal gain.

He couldn’t tell her that he was Danny or expose himself, because that would only create more questions. Serious questions. Questions he couldn’t answer without revealing himself as Phantom.

Danny gulped, realizing the evident. He had to play Vlad Masters…

“Miss. Grey, how...uhm…nice weather right?”

Valerie stuck her finger in his face, “don’t play me like a kid, you creep. I know what you are and you know what I am capable of – and if you get near me or show your face around here, I’m gonna hunt you down so hard, your gonna check under the bed at night because of me.”

She threw her drink in his face and walked away in rage and clicking gold heels. Danny dried himself with intangibility and followed her with his eyes.

“Damn, she'd never wanted Phantom dead like that and I was the one ruining her life!”

He guessed the coast was clear and continued his search for Danny Fenton’s face, while trying to come up with some sorta plan. The way Vlad’s body moved and functioned keep distracting him and he ended up just clasping his hands on his back, just to get them out of the way.

How the hell did he do it?

Danny felt like a complete retard walking like this. His legs were too long, his back to straight and Vlad’s ponytail kept tingling his neck. Even his teeth were to sharp! Danny bite his own tongue and cursed.

Had Vlad been born with natural fangs or did he just have a sick obsession with vampires?

What a nerd!

-

Vlad on the other hand was trying to get use to his new body without much success either.

He remembered clearly what it was like to be young and in a hormonal body like this, but as a teenager, Vlad had been a lot taller, lankier, but firmer, always tried to eat healthy and his hair had been longer in the back – not front.

How the boy could endure those infernal tresses in his face all the time, was beyond Vlad. He swept them away to get the itching out of his eyes and nose, and tried to shook Miss. Manson of him. She had been annoyingly persistent since the basement and kept trying to get him to follow her around.

He had finally left her behind, by using his ghost powers and tried finding a quiet place where he could think in peace. He ended up near the line to the fruit-punch and decline when an acne infested teenager tried serving him some of the sugar filled alcohol.

“I’ll rather drink mouthwash, no thank you.”

The medallion around his neck was an object of myths, but Vlad had done his research on the jet and checked his library again. The legend about the body switching had been true, but the way to reverse the spell was something entirely else.

Normally the carrier would only use the medallions magic in extreme cases of deathly wounds or sickness without a cure, making the thought of switching back to the old bodies an idea that haven’t passed many with interest.

But the book didn’t say that it was impossible either. Nether Vlad or Danny had been sick or injured and still the medallions magic had switched them and by that function alone, switching them back shouldn’t be a problem.

Danny had pressed the stone again already the second after the switch of their souls and that haven’t had any effect, so perhaps Vlad had to press it this time? He pressed the stone, but nothing happened.

“What a shame.”

Vlad scanned his mind for a new solution and pushed his hair back. Daniel should really take the time to wash his hair with more gentle hair products. His hair felt a little stiff to the touch and when Vlad got the time, he would tell him to wash the conditioner out with cold instead of warm water.

That way it would become more soft and less dull. And eat a salad, Daniel, for Christ sake. Vlad could still taste the chess sandwich on his tongue. That boy really needed a better diet. Vlad had seen him throw out the vegetables when Arianna hadn’t been looking.

Did he want to die?

“Hey Danny, I have been looking all over for you. Did you find Sam?”

And speaking of the lovely sun, Vlad turned to Arianna with a smile, “oh yes, I just talked with her. How are you, my dear?”

She blinked surprised, “…I’m _fine_? Well I’m glad you two made up, did you like her dress? I help her pick it,” she said cheerily and Vlad recalled Miss. Manson wearing something black and quite fashionable.

“I did, you have quite the eye for details. Your own is lovely as well, red really is your color.”

She put her hand to his forehead with a concerned look, “hmm, you’re not warm. Are you sure you okay, Danny? You sound so…I don’t know. Mature?”

Vlad smirked at that. Yes, the boy had a long way to go with his speaking skills, “perhaps.”

She opened her mouth, but stopped at the sight of his chest, “that’s a beautiful necklace, Danny. I didn’t know American boys were supposed to wear jewelry over a smoking.”

She touched it before Vlad could stop her and she admired the white stone in the light of the cheap disco-ball.

“Pretty. It looks a lot like the kind of stones the fairies back in the Soul Center would wear. The fairy queen of the winter court once came to see me fight with a jewelry on her dress, looking a little like this one. Did you know that fairy handwork is made from human souls? Apparently, those guys can’t make anything from scraps and need something sustainable to create. That’s why they kidnap humans to their dimension, for stuff and servant use.”

That fascinated Vlad. She was familiar with fairy magic?

“Really? Would you think, let’s say, that a fairy stone’s magic could be reversed if the stone was destroyed?”

She seemed to consider it, “well, that usual works with Vampire based spells. If you break a Vampires lapis lazuli stone, they burn to death in the sun – I’ll say it could be the same with fairy jewelry. If it's made by a changeling and not true fae of course.”

Vlad stroke his nonexistent goatee and choked as Arianna phased a hand though his chest. She pulled her hand back out and ignored his visible pain with a frown, “and not possessed either, you’re all alone in there. Then there’s only one possibility left to explain this behavior.”

She grabbed his face and checked his eyes, “are you high?”

Vlad was going to tell her something rude, when he caught the sight of Miss. Manson again over her shoulder. Vlad couldn’t risk getting back in dialog with the pestering girl and took Arianna’s hand.

“Care for this dance?”

She didn’t get the chance to answer as he dragged her out on the dance floor.

-

Sam was sure she had seen Danny at the tables just a second ago, but found no blue-eyed teen beside the punchline. She continued her search and thought she saw a really pissed off Valerie punching a hole in a wall, when one of the ball rooms banners started whispering her name.

“ _Psst!_ Sam!”

Sam walked to the banner and was pulled in immediately. Vlad Master placed his hand on her mouth, when she tried to scream and call for help.

“Sam it’s me! Danny!”

She stared at him like he had grown a second head and Danny felt like an idiot, “I know everyone can come saying that, but it’s true!”

Sam gave him an elbow in the stomach and kicked his shine, “get the fuck of me, you creep!”

Danny coughed by the blow, but managed to catch her before she could escape and forced her to look at him.

“Sam seriously! It’s me! And I can prove it – remember the time we were at the carnival and you got really sick after eating that vegetarian corndog I brought you?”

She gave him a suspicious look, “what about it?”

“Me and Tucker must had switched one of our corndogs with yours by accident and we were too scared to tell you, that you just ate meat.”

Sam lost her jaw and Danny hurried to move out of her reach, “believe me now?”

Sam still looked like she was gonna claw his eyes out and use them for earrings, but cooled down, “I get you for that later – Danny what the hell happened to you?”

He squirmed in a very non-Vlad way and sighed in embarrassment.

“Well…turns out the medallion heals people by giving them a new body and I activated it by accident – you gotta help me! I can’t take this much longer, Vlad’s body is so old and stiff and people either hate me or sucking up to me! It’s so confusing and flattering and –”

“Danny focus,” she interrupted and Danny took a deep breath.

“Sorry,” he said and scratched his neck. Sam had to admit that look really weird watching Vlad’s body act like this. Danny even stood a little bent, like he felt to tall or couldn’t keep the straight pose, Vlad’s body usual held itself with.

That explained why Danny had been so cold in his acting back at the basement and made a poise like old snob....

“Oh my god, Vlad is in your body,” she realized and gaged.

Danny started tucking at his silver pony tail, his voice going anxious, “we have to find Vlad and reverse this. He said the medallion belonged to some fairy person called…uhm Titanic?”

Sam rolled her eyes, “you mean _Titania?_ ”

When Danny slash Vlad stared dumbly at her, she pulled out her phone with a heavy sigh, that carried the weight of all occult bookworm’s heavy burden.

“She’s like the most famous known fairy to mankind, Danny. Open a book would ya!”

She started scrolling her phone and Dany watched over her shoulder. She picked one of her e-books and scrolled down with a little smile.

“I knew scanning all my books would pay of some day – her we go. I brought this one on an auction one time.”

An old illustration of a blond fairy queen with a medallion on her neck popped up. Danny guessed the person who had made the illustration must have seen the real deal, because the wings was spot one.

Danny should know, he had fought three of those creatures.

“Says her that Titania, the queen of fairies, possessed a lot of magical artifacts and one of them was apparently that stone you just used…bla bla bla…Fairy magic comes with a price…sacrifices and lure of humans…here we go. Says here that you can only reverse a spell from one of these stones, by fulfilling its use. You just got to use it for the right purpose again.”

Danny deadpanned, “but we didn’t use it right in the first place. None of us was sick or hurt!”

“Well not unless you count your own halfdead situation as ‘sick’,” she suggested and received a very disappointed look…from Vlad Masters nonetheless, “I’m just saying.”

“Well, what is your point?” Danny asked in a tired voice and Sam hummed in thought, “okay, try this, you’re both sorta sick, being half-ghost and all that. Since Vlad has been halfa way longer than you, his body might be the most healed of you two.”

She didn’t sound assure of herself, but continued anyway.

“So if you want your own body back, you will have to weakening him somehow and equalize your health.”

Danny was going to tell her that was pretty much impossible to make any of them less halfa, when Sam gave him a look and Danny blinked. Realized the obvious, “I have to wound Vlad's body.”

“And off we go,” Sam singsong and dragged him out from under the banner.

-

A crowd had assembled out on the dance floor, in which Danny Fenton and Miss. Shade was the center of attention. She giggled and made a complicated tango figure along with his confident steps.

“Danny, I’m supposed to be your teacher. You can’t dance with me like that.”

Vlad smirked and threw her out in a dip, “really? because based on observation, I would say that you’re enjoining yourself.”

She laughed at that and let him moved her around in the dance, sounding a little breathless, “well, you sure have hidden this talent well from me. Last time I tried teaching you a _colgada_ you almost dropped me on the basement floor and now…you're dancing like an Italian veteran. What is happening, Danny?”

Vlad would like to tell her a lot of things, but right now wasn’t the time. He still had to destroy the medallion, but he didn’t felt like letting her go just yet and since he wouldn’t get a chance to dance with her again in near future, why not enjoy himself a little?

He contined the dance, even after spotting his own face appearing in the crowd. Danny blushed while Miss. Manson lost her jaw by the sight of him and Arianna in tight embrace.

Vlad sighed. Seems like all good thing must come to an end, but not for long.

“I will be back for you,” he promised in her ear and moved away. She stared after him in surprise, but soon got showered in attention from all the watching girls, who liked to know where they could learn to dance like that.

Danny and Sam ran after Vlad, who had disappeared down the long hallway and opened the doors to the school’s entrance. Danny and Sam pushed their way out and ended up outside the building.

Vlad had saw them and smirked, “don’t worry, Daniel, as soon as I crush the stone you will get your body back.”

Both Danny and Sam knew that couldn’t be good, “no wait!”

Vlad made a well-known move with his arm and Danny felt like going into panic. Vlad was going to teleport.

Danny made a mad dash, but his body’s legs were to long for him and he fell before he could reach his own body. Sam gasped, realizing that they were too late.

...Or not.

Vlad was just standing there with closed eyes, like he was waiting for the bus or something. He opened one of his eyes a little, “why aren’t I teleporting?”

Sam deadpanned, “you two switched powers to?”

“ _Chess logs!_ ” Vlad yelled and Danny got up a little awkward, “what really?”

Danny closed his eyes and disappeared in green smoke. Vlad gasped as Danny reappeared beside him and snatched the medallion.

“Sorry, Vlad, but don’t you know what you can’t play with your mother’s jewelry?”

“Give it back, you imbecilic!” Vlad sneered and tried to get the medallion back, but Danny just held it over his head with a laugh, “language, Vlad.”

Vlad responded by trying to punch him and Danny flicked his forehead with a grin. Vlad really was pathetic like this.

Danny considered hurting Vlad’s body in a hurtful way, but all this was kind of his fault and in some obscure way…Vlad had just saved him from hurting Arianna any further, so he kinda owned him.

He shot himself with a light ghost ray, knowing that it would heal quickly and forced their hands together, before pressing the stone. Sam watched as the translucent Vlad and Danny left their mortal bodies and floated over them for a second, before crossing and enter the two bodies below.

Danny opened his eyes and was a little confused by the switched positions, before shouting in happiness, “yeah! I’m me!”

He threw his hand into the air and then hissed. He had all forgot he just flicked his own forehead, “ouch, that actually hurt…”

He was distracted from his self-inflicted pain, as Sam pulled him into a hug and Danny locked his arms around her. It took him some time to remember Vlad, but the other halfa was long gone.

Sam groaned, “of course he took the medallion.”

“Oh who cares,” Danny answered, tired of it all and grab her hand, “come on, i think they're about to declare the prom king and queen or something.”

They arrived back to the ball room to see some senior student become crowned as the prom-king and the redheaded teen waved to his peers, that shouted in glee, “whoo! Wes is king!”

Mr. Lancer smiled by how smoothly this years prom was going for ones and opened the second envelope, “and for the queen…Tucker Foley’s date, Dora Mattingly.”

Most of their classmates looked surprised. If not shocked.

“The techno geek dates a beauty queen?” Dash asked astonished as Dora dragged Tucker to the scene and kissed him in front of the entire school.

“You were right!” she cheered and hugged him with sweet laughter, “I can both be a president – and a queen!”

Sam and Danny shared a look and just shrugged. Joining the applause and smiling by the sight of their friends repaired relationship. At least Tuckers prom night had run as planned. Which reminded him...

“Wanna dance?” Danny asked and offered Sam his arm.

She took it, “why not – but I don’t dance tango.”

“Me neither,” he laughed and moved out on the dancefloor.

-

The Halloween decorations and trick-and-treat hunting children, was still going on and about, as Dani packed the last of her stuff.

She knew god damn well, that superheroes didn’t quit, didn’t run and most of all they didn’t give up – but this was real life and the truth was simple.

She was tired.

When she had first arrived to New York City, everything had seemed open to her and the possibilities endless. The city was great and the crimes multiplied.

She had found a resting place up under the roof of an old church and woken up with gumption and faith in the future, to her fist new day as savior of the world’s greatest city.

She knew first things first that she needed an income. She was done stealing and begging strangers on the street, she wanted an honest meal at day and the possibility of moving in to an apartment at some point.

She spent her first two weeks searching for a job and had been badly surprised. Nobody wanted to hire a minor and especially not a minor that couldn’t show any identification or applying papers – or do simple math.

When they started asking questions about her family, school and personal information, like her address, she had found no other choice than to run and avoid the part of the city, because those people often made the police look for her there afterwards.

It was deeply frustrating and those jobs she could get, was always offered by shady people and possible criminals. Dani would rather go back to begging than work for that kind of people.

Which forced her back to stealing, rummage through trash bins and go to the soup kitchen. The last one had taken her some time to find and she had come to despised the place more than anything.

If she finally got her meal and could sit down with it, she would always risk that some religious folks would always ask her stupid questions or pestered her with their opinions. Disturbing the little peace she had left.

But it wasn’t all that terrible, she guessed. She had meet a bunch of homeless people there that wasn’t half bad and sometime she would follow a guy that called himself Banjo-Jo (why she had no idea, he didn't even play one) and sit with him on the street corners, while he waited for people to donate some changes in his old hat.

He was a weird old guy, but he told great stories and Dani could spend a whole afternoon just sitting and listened to him. Banjo-Jo never asked her about her home or why she was homeless, which she appreciated.

Everyone seemed to intent on knowing what she had left behind, but never respected or cared for the person she was now or wanted in life. After a couple of months, she had ended up telling him it all anyway.

About her birth, Danny Fenton, Vlad Masters and the mess it all was. That she had hoped to come her to accomplish something, saving people, fulfill a greater propose…but it all seemed dumb and childish to her now.

When she had beaten the bad guys and helped people, most of them had just screamed at her or ran before she could convince them she wasn’t just some ghost. When she had done that for a month, she finally got noticed, but not the way she had hoped.

A group of armature ghost hunters had tried taking her down one night and she had fought back. That had been a bad move. Meaner and more professional hunters had showed their faces in the city ever since and she had run when the first white suits showed up at the churches doorstep.

It was like it all had turned upside down. She was supposed to be the hero, not the evil ghost that people hunted in the night.

Banjo-Jo had believed her without a second thought and to her surprise he had even called her brave.

Not because of her origins and secession from her evil father.

Not because she had run away from home to protect others.

Not because she had tried using her powers for good and tried becoming a superhero either.

But because she had acknowledged and admitted to herself that dreams sometimes never become more than that.

And that was okay.

When the cold had moved in over the city, Banjo-Jo had packed his things to go to a warmer place and wished her luck. She had given him the few variable things she had owned and hugged the old man at the underground station.

If this had all been for nothing, she had at least accomplished to make the life of one person in the city a little better. He promised he would come see her if he ever came to Amity Park and she promised to look for him if she ever returned to the city again.

Both knew it wouldn’t be likely, but it was okay, Dani guessed.

Dani threw her bag on her shoulder and looked down at the last costume clad children of the evening and smiled. There was at least teen Danny and Dani Phantom costumes down there.

Maybe her chances of becoming a superhero wasn’t as far behind her as she had thought. With that tender thought in mind, she shot for the New York sky and left the city behind her.

She decided the only place left for her was Amity Park.

Maybe this time she would be able to call it home.


	33. Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down, never gonna run around and desert you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> raise your hand if your exams makes you wanna bury yourself alive   
> *raises both*   
> Its the timer of year where students suffers and santa stress around - i'm alive, but at what cost?  
> this fic is almost finished and i just want to say it have been amazing to put myself out here and get such positive response   
> you guys are amazing :D
> 
> * * *

“Clockwork!”

The timekeeper sighed and turned to the unwelcomed guests, that dared to show their grace in his tower. The Observants was five this time, a bad sign. Their kind only assembled in more than three eyes, if they felt threatened.

“That is I, yes. What _unthinkable_ honor do your presence grand me this time?”

He knew he was pressing their patience, but it was one of the only more entertaining part of his eternal observing he had left and there was more positive outcome than futures where he was punished for that remark.

“Watch your tongue, timekeeper,” the first one sneered, before his partner moved in front of him, “enough talk, where her on behalf of the council. Its decided, Clockwork. We want you to abandon this dimension this instant.”

Clockwork transformed into his old form and felt annoyance color his mind. His tone was anything but understanding. He had made up his mind the second he bought the dimension.

“No. The dimension is evolving without my influence as it should. The old corrections and time influence, you fear, was done by its former timekeeper, not me. I have no wish to abandon it now or in the near future,” he said and turned to them with a cold expression, “your fears of a forthcoming assembles of the many halfas, is irrelevant and unjustified, there have been and are other dimensions with the same future as this one.”

“Not dimensions with the Observants ruling them,” the third Observant corrected and they all hummed in suppress fear and anger, as if the simple though of such a world was intoxicating for them.

If only.

“Your realm and control will stay reality, as long as I’m still able to interfere with time,” Clockwork added and turned to the screen, where the four halfas was showed after turn.

“Dani Phantom will return to her place by Danny Phantoms side, but by the time she will reach him, he will be isolated once again. You fear that all four of them will meet and a war between the living and dead will evolve from the impacted, but I say that is unlikely.”

Vlad Masters appeared on the screen, working on a machine much like the one he had once used in his cloning project. Clockwork smirked.

“Vlad Plasmius has his own agendas and one of them is separating Phantom from Nightshade. As you guess, this won’t exactly set well with the younger halfa.”

The Observants shared a look, “that should keep them from assemble and join forces. If he separates the female halfa from Phantom with force, they would be on bad terms.”

“Satisfied?” Clockwork asked, “then maybe you would care to observe the door then? I’m busy.”

The Observants left him once more and he relaxed with the silence once again restored. Danny Phantom moved into the screen and sat beside Nightshade with a smile. They were making ready for Halloween.

Clockwork knew what the future hold for them and he knew the forthcoming separation would hurt the boy dearly. But it would be necessary.

Plasmius had plans for her. The man needed her in more ways than he knew himself.

“So the little clone returns, how sweet.”

Clockwork didn’t turn around even though a more reasonable and powerful ghost in his place would have reconsidered such a move. But this was Clockwork. The future possibilities of his death were fifty-fifty.

He would take his chances with Dark Phantom and stay an optimist.

“Yes, the world’s only four existing halfas and they are all heading for the same place,” he replied and moved around the screen, where the young Dani Phantom was showing flying with hope of redemption in her heart.

Child Clockwork moved over to his companion and smirked darkly, admired the sight of the ghost for a second. Dark Phantom stood tall and ominous with his arms crossed in thought.

His flaming blue hair had finally found its volume and life again, after the many years of lack of oxygen in the thermos and his back was done making popping sounds when he moved.

The timekeeper had had his doubts about letting him out of his prison, but the odds had been in his favor at that time and he had destroyed the thermos.

As he had hoped, Dark had behaved and stayed with him in the tower, well knowing that he could escape or kill the timekeeper with a certain percent chance of success.

The timekeeper didn’t mind. Clockwork found his company both challenging and pleasant. All though the longing of such vile company still confused the old ghost to the core.

How did Dark Phantom – of all creatures – attract even the slightest bit of attention from him, other than complete resentment?

The ghost was a perverted fusion of two ghost cores, that had been separated from their human emotions and obsession, causing it to seek the last known feeling of its living beings.

Destruction of all human relations, physical and mental.

An evil cores corruption of a hurt innocence. Dark Phantom had been born in the cold embrace of delusions, visions and longing for human alienation and power. No longer human enough to be a bridge of the dead and living world, and too malicious to belong with any of them.

Dark Phantom was an enigma and abomination to both worlds. He simple didn’t belong and now he was standing as a single being out of time and place to. Like a war machine stranded in an empty field. Lost without a destructive purpose or further goal. Left to rot and perish.

He only had Clockwork to turn to now and time to watch.

“But not for long, by the time she arrives, the halfas will be at each other’s throats” Dark replied and gave the timekeeper one of his madman smiles, “poor Danny. It seems that everyone wants something from him. His life, his attention, his pelt…his halfa mother.”

“The future might be dark for him, but there’s always light at the end,” the timekeeper replied and made the future on the screen appeared.

“It can be obscurely and hard to grasp,” he said and watched scene after scene unfold before them:

_Vlad gazing up at an unconscious being in a glass tank with a longing expression._

“Bright and hurtful to the eyes that’s sees…”

_Nightshade being captured by the Cube. Danny and Vlad fighting to the death._

“Sometimes clear and sharp…”

_Dani with a baby in her arms. Danny towering on a throne of skulls and the crown of fire resting on his head._

“Dark and ominous, like white light in the fog…”

_The world burning in a bright green light and echoing of the screams of the innocent. Dani and the child falling through the sky._

“But sometimes…it all becomes clear…”

_Danny Phantom being absorbed into the light of the Observing eye._

The old timekeeper closed his eyes. He more felt, than heard his guest flaring his hands and Clockwork activated his staff the second before Dan would have sliced his head clean off with an ecto-disk.

“Time out.”

Dan Phantom froze with the rest of the towers gears and bells. A look of cold determination was still painted on his face, hand an inch from Clockwork’s neck, ready to kill him without hesitation.

Clockwork sighed and pitied the damned ghost.

“I see someone still haven’t forgiven me for shaking his thermos. I see, I expect this calls for a correction then.”

The old ghost smirked as he stepped aside, “time in.”

Dan growled as he missed his target and turned back to Clockwork, just as one of the bells swung back and sent him flying with a smack. Clockwork worked his staff and watched with sadist glee, as Dan froze once more, flew backwards, and hit the bell again.

And was hit again… and again… and again.

Clockwork sneakered, he could do this all day – and since his schedule was free, he might as well do that.

“Everything is as it supposed to be.”

-

Skulker drew a deep breath, “alright Bitchy, this is it.”

The shade nodded severely and they prepared themselves. Skulker knew that this would make the outcome for everything and success was of all importance. The shade gave him the signal and they both stared in concentration as Skulker picked up his phone and put in on speaker.

_“Where the hell have you been!?”_

Skulker sighed by the sound of his pissed off girlfriend and turned to the shade for guidance. It had sat him down in front of a simple whiteboard, in one of the old classrooms of Pointdexter’s floating school building and pointed to the words it had written on the board.

**_‘step on - be sorry and apologize no matter what – works every time.’_ ******

Skulker had all forgot about he and Ember’s three-month re-anniversary (he’d stopped keeping track on how many it was now, since they had broken up and made up so many times, but apparently, she hadn’t.)

He was going to tell her just how stupid it all was, when the shade shook its head in warning and pointed to the whiteboard again and tapped it with a ruler.

**_‘never tell a girl her problems are stupid. Just don’t.’_ **

Skulker scowled, but guessed it couldn’t hurt, “Ember I’m sorry, I’ll make it up to you, babe, as soon as this job is done.”

The shade gave him thumbs up. Ember was still mad, but haven’t cut him off, which was a good start.

_“Screw you! You always do this to me – hunting this and that all the time! Where the hell am I in that schedule? And don’t say ‘in the kitchen’, ‘cause I will kill you if you do!”_

Skulker made a ‘help me’ gesture to the shade and it pointed him further down the whiteboard.

**_‘keep your cool and be understanding – even if you totally aren’t.’_ **

Skulker nodded, “you right, I haven’t taken enough time for you, babe. As soon as this job’s done I’ll make it up to you.” Skulker felt like he was talking bullshit, but Bitchy nodded encouraging and hurried to write something on the board.

_**‘Girls like gifts – the promise of material goods will make her look forward to your return, maybe even horny.’** _

_“Forget it, babypop – I’m in the middle of my tour anyway and I don’t need your sorry robot ass around here. That Plasmius guy better pay you good and make it worth it.”_

Skulker almost missed the last, trying to read and think at the same time. The little green ghost began to sweat in his helmet. He had been ordered not to let the shade know about his employer and with that the female halfa knowing that he had connections to Plasmius.

The shade tilted its head by the name and Skulker tried coming up with a solution to this mess.

“Skulker works only for things that’s worth it, but it’s not him that I do this job for – how about this, I bring you back that volume amplifier I saw at Technus’ place?”

The shade seemed to let it go, guessing that this Plasmius guy were just another ghost of Skulker’s and Skulker hid his sigh of relief. That was close. If the shade found out that he worked not only for the halfas, but the third halfa to, there would be consequences.

Plasmius likes his privacy and his employees following strict orders. Skulker made an honor out of being capable of doing both.

_“Deal – and bring some chocolate – be romantic your lousy hunter!”_

She cut the connection, before Skulker could yell that he was the ghost zones greatest hunter and he crushed the phone in his hand. The shade split into three and gave him a proud applause.

Skulker had to admit that probably had been the most civil phone conversation he’d ever had with Ember and threw the shade some jerky, “there you earned it. Let’s get back to work and get that human bag.”

They left the old grey and white school simply by blasting a hole through the wall and flew into the zone. The pack of bounty hunters that had been holding them up in the building for three days straight, jumped out of their hideouts and fired at random.

Skulker made them spread out with a missile and the shade divided into five and took them out separately. The group had started out as a lot more members, but the three collisions Skulker and the shade had had with them over the months, had brought them down to five.

Skulker fired his net, it hit the first of his persecutors and caged him easily. An electrical impulse in the nets fiber made the ghost go up in screaming flames. Skulker could see why Plasmius had forbidden him to use it on the whelp.

There would be no pelt to hang up afterwards.

A pained scream told him that Bitchy haven’t been feed enough and he sighed before firing the last of his missiles. One of the hunters dodged and jumped Skulker. The hunter summoned his sword and took up the challenge.

A calling from his gear, told Skulker that Plasmius was trying to get in contact with him – that or Ember had more to add. He kicked the ghost of him and activated his phone before dodging a new uppercut, “make it quick, I’m in the middle of a battle!”

Plasmius ignored his clearly rude tone, _“Skulker have you found the last item?”_

Skulker knocked his opponent out with his forehead, when his hands got occupied trying to hold another ghost out in stretched arm, “IM ON IT!”

Two shades jumped the two bounty hunters from behind and went for their necks with teethes and claws. Skulker fell back and checked his armory.

“The item is owned by a hermit in this area – we’re on our way to pay him a visit.”

Plasmius hummed in approval, _“excellent, let me know when you have it.”_

The connection was cut and Skulker kicked his boot though the last bounty hunters chest. Both he and the shades was panting from their struggles and Skulker gave the ecto-stained scene a last look for any survivors or movement, and whistles.

The shade returned to him and merged back into one.

“Let’s go!”

The flew the last part of the fast-drawn map, Skulker had been handed from his last victim in the city and stopped in front of an anonymous looking door in the middle of nowhere.

A sign on the door said, ‘knock or be pardoned.’ Skulker made a jeered face and shoot the door down, “Skulker will pardon nothing!”

The shade giggled by his antics and followed him in. Skulker gave the lair a fast look-over. The place seemed empty and dark – which characterized most ghost lairs, but this one was something else.

The hunter moved around some of the old broken furniture and swept a steel hand over an old table. The dust layer was thick and it was clear no one had haunted this place for some time.

Based on his own calculations and tracking skills, he would say the ghost they were looking for, had left after a fight or had been removed from this lair some weeks ago.

He checked the second floor without any new clues and stopped on his way down. A burned mark on the ceiling ran in a long line down the wall. Skulker removed the destroyed sofa under it and found similar marks beneath.

The weapon was discovered when he made the shade clear the floor. A broken ecto staff. Skulker had been in many a fight with this kind of weapon and knew that it was designed to shock a ghost into paralyzing, or bind them with ecto-ropes.

Which could on mean…

Skulker suspicion was confirmed when he found an authoritarian note on the backside of the purple door. He sent the shade up on the second floor and out of hearing reach, before he dialed his headphone.

“Plasmius, we have a problem.”

Plasmius scoffed lightly, _“there’s no problem or ghost, money can’t fix, Skulker.”_

Skulker scrutinized the note, “this ghost can’t. He's immune to bribery. It's againts the rules...


	34. One does not simply walk into the Ghost zone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys!!!!  
> Happy christmas everyone  
> I hadn't planned for this chapter to land exactly on christmas, but here we are - as a little gift from me to you, i'll give you two chapters since they're both around the holiday  
> hope you enjoy - happy holidays!
> 
> * * *

“For fuck sake! It was literally Thanksgiving yesterday!”

Danny groaned to the sight of the mall, all decorated in Christmas cheer and holyday spirit. The snow had started yesterday and left a foot-deep layer of pure white snow behind.

Danny had been eager this morning to go out and be in it (ice ghost with control over his powers and all), but the snow only seemed to have provokes an early Christmas preparation in the hearts of the Amity Parks citizens and now Danny was drowning in fat Santa Clauses, blinking garlands in broad daylight and stupid brats screaming for presents and toys on every corner.

He had almost lost his shit, when Mariah Carey had started singing _‘All I Want For Christmas Is YOU!!!!’_ in the car radio. Danny felt like going home and burry himself under a cover.

Wait for the season to pass.

“I hate this!” he groaned sourly and ignored Sam, who ran around doing her merry business.

Sam had switched like a coin from her normal gloomy behavior and was now dancing around and wished everyone and everything happy holidays, like a cheery missionary. Tucker stuffed his cold hands into his coat pockets, laughing by the rare sight.

“Cheer up, dude, I thought you had grown out of that holiday hate by now.”

“Maybe,” Danny retorted bitter and shivered, he would never forget the Christmas of 2007, “damn Ghost writer and his Christmas poem.”

“You fought the Ghost writer?” Arianna asked interested. It always slipped their mind that she didn’t knew about these kind of things. Danny felt like she had been here a lot longer than just a little year.

“He’s a famous ghost in the zone, Danny. He usual never fights others – to powerful. What happened?”

Danny squirmed, “it was kind of an accident…”

“Yeah! Danny blew up his Christmas poem and pissed him off big time – he then caged Danny in a lousy Christmas carol and forced him to rhyme the whole time!” Tucker laughed and Danny made him trip with an outstretched boot.

“He said he wanted me to learn a lesson about Christmas and I guess I deserved it for ruining his work, but still – he overacted and took it too far. The other ghosts made him back down and we stopped him when he couldn’t find something rhyming with ‘orange’. His still in prison…”

Arianna blinked surprised, “nothing rhymes with ‘orange?’ – but what about ‘sporange’? It’s a term in botany, for the case or sac in plants where the spores are produced.”

Both Danny and Tucker stopped up, “you blowing my mind, dude, don’t let Ghost writer hear this.”

“Thank you – anyway,” Arianna continued, “no wonder you hate Christmas then.”

“That’s actually his parents fault,” Tucker began and Danny walked ahead. Tucker could tell the whole story to her, while he hated Christmas in peace and tried getting some normalcy before…

“Don’t let your children’s mind be polluted by this lie!” Maddie Fenton yelled over her speaker at the little podium, where mall Santa Clause was listening to children’s whishes on his lap. The old man in the costume gave her a tired look.

“Miss. Fenton, you do this every year, I’m just trying to do my job.”

“So you admit to be a fraud!?”

Her husband jumped up to the other side of Santa and pulled the man into a protecting hug, that was possible choking him, “don’t listen to her Santa – I believe in you!”

“Then your beliefs are hollow, Jack Fenton!”

“Not as long as I got fudge to fill them with!”

Danny deadpanned and Arianna lost her jaw, “are they _serious?_ ”

“ _Dead_ serious,” Danny said slain and picked up his phone when he received a text-message, “come on, Jazz wants to meet us at the second floor in the bookshop.”

They removed themselves from the dramatic scene, but not before a group of mall guards had tried to remove Mrs. Fenton with force and was send flying into the malls fountain. Arianna snapped a picture of the soaked mall guards and Maddie making karate chops in the background.

She posted them with a giggle, “happy holydays indeed.”

They found Jazz in the psychology section of the bookstore and she hugged the air out of Danny.

“The holydays can’t come fast enough for me anymore! How have you guys been?”

They shared news and trivialities as they settled down at the malls Starbucks, where they all ordered coffee and cocoa. Jazz had some time before her exams was coming up and had decided to spend some time with them in the holydays and help Danny with their annual problem…

“So… they’re downstairs at the Santa shop again?”

Danny sighed, “no, I think the security have removed them by now, good thing they don’t ban people from the mall, otherwise there would be a big ‘no Fenton’ over the door by now.”

Arianna look at them with concern, “is that really how you two spend the greatest holyday of the season? Listening to your parents fighting and sit alone Christmas eve? That’s so sad!”

“Welcome to my life,” Danny replied sarcastic and pushed his cocoa away, he had lost his appetite anyway. Tucker took it.

“Well at least we have been able to celebrated it,“ Tucker comment, ” – you’ve been in the zone for teen years. Did they even put up a Christmas tree in slave prison?”

Arianna shrugged, “I don’t think so and if they did, I have never seen it – I usually spend Christmas sleeping, if I knew it was Christmas at all. There’s no fight in the cube Christmas evening.”

“Now that’s _sad_ ,” Sam replied and took a sip from her herbal tea, “maybe you two should celebrate Christmas with Arianna – you celebrate Christmas in Denmark, right?”

“Oh yes,” she said and seemed to dream away, “the decorated tree, the presents, Santa Clause on his sled. Duck, sausages and roast pork served on a table with the family gathered around. We celebrate it just like you guys, just with some few variations – oh, and we unwrap the presents the 24 and not 25 December.”

“Well that’s perfect,” Jazz said, “we can celebrate Christmas with Arianna the 24 and still have the 25 with mom and dad. Two birds with one jingle bell!”

Danny didn’t like Christmas eve and doing it twice sounded like torture, but he didn’t have the heart to tell Arianna no. She had been denied it for teen years and all he had to do was doing it once.

“Okay sounds fine.”

The female halfa lighted up like a Christmas tree and ran off to shop what she needed for her ‘Scandinavian Christmas.’ Danny already loathed the idea.

Danny turned to the others, “you guys could come to, ya know.”

Tucker sulked, “I can’t dude, my old people is usually taking me visiting family the 24.”

Sam grimaced, “yeeeeeah, and I can’t sit at a table with three types of meat served at the same time – but you three have fun.”

They found the energized Arianna again an hour later. She was trying to explain to a confused clerk that she wanted something called ‘Christmas bear’, but not the season bear the store sold. Jazz and Danny stared down into her shopping basket.

“What do you need cinnamon, nougat, marzipan, almonds, sugar, honey, chocolate, butter, cream, cherry vin and sauce for? You gonna bake?”

“You see,” she sing-sanged and moved to a hobby shop, where she brought red and white cardstock and Victorian die cuts, before she moved further around the mall to buy last, but most surprisingly – potatoes in glass and red and white cabbage.

Danny already felt like backing out of it, but Jazz wouldn’t let him, “we promised, Danny.”

“I didn’t promise to eat weird stuff!”

Arianna returned to them with a whole duck, a pork and some kind of long meaty sausage that she called a ‘medister’. Danny stopped her right there.

“What? Christmas dinner in Denmark is duck and pork,” she defended.

“You mean duck _or_ pork, right?”

“Duck _and_ pork, Danny – and medister! Meat for everyone!”

They parted with Sam and Tucker who wished them happy holydays and good luck, before they filled Jazz’s car and drove home. Danny was trying to find space in the fridge for the meat, while Jazz and Arianna sorted the things she needed up in the Ops center, when a shade flew up from the stair to the basement. 

It scouted a second before seeing Arianna and merge into her with a snap. Arianna gasped in surprise and froze where she stood.

Jazz grabbed her, “whoa, are you alright? Where did that shade come from?”

 _“Jerkyyyy,_ ” Arianna drooled and staggered to the kitchen like a zombie and started searching the kitchen drawers. Danny watched a little disturbed as she devoured a box of Fenton jerky like she hadn’t been feed in weeks.

She slowed down by the eight pack and snapping out of it with a owlish look.

“Oh okay – my shade says Skulker is back!”

She ran to the stairs, with Danny and Jazz right behind her. Danny raced her as a ghost and got to the ghost portal first. Skulker had apparently blown his way through with his weapons and Danny groaned by the sight of the damage.

“You couldn’t just have _knocked!?_ ”

“Skulker is done knocking on doors!” the hunter roared and threw his ruined weapons and smoking jetpack of him. Danny looked behind him and found that the hunter had fought the little group of campers on the other side.

“Nice, now they will probably try blowing their own way in too. Way to go, Skulker.”

Skulker ignored him and handed them his back, “as promised, all the items from the list is in it.”

“But not my passport and bag,” Arianna concluded after a quick peak into the bags content and shivered, “ugh, I have never tried merging with a long lost shade like this before. It’s like downloading a whole other life!”

“That’s duplication for you,” Jazz replied and helped her unpack the bag.

“So why did you come back if you still haven’t fund everything, Skulker?”

Skulker scowled, “I have come because I won’t return if I go for the last Item. You will have to bring it back yourself if you want it,” he said and handed Danny an old dusty note.

The others read over his shoulders.

_Restraining order._

_Ghost zone inhabitant Dazzler has been brought into prison, for possessing and dealing with large stocks of real-world items. This is against paragraph 50, article 3 of all ghostly possession._

_Caution will be accepted but kept without effect for the prisoner’s case and any useful information will be punished with sentence. Snitching is against the rules._

  

_Signed: Bullet, sheriff of the zone’s police department._

_Walker, warden of the zone’s police department and prison._

 

Arianna chewed though her last package of jerky with a raised bow, “my shoulder bag is in prison?”

“I would say _detained_ , but yeah, Walker has your purse imprisoned,” Danny ensured drily and threw the note away, “to innocent to go to prison, Skulker? Santa must have a big present in store for ya this year.”

The hunter grabbed him by the cloak collar, “I’m not going to prison for a bag, whelp.”

“And nobody has to,” Jazz assured conciliatory and made the hunter release Danny, “I have an idea.”

“What?” Danny asked, “walk into Walker’s territory ourselves? You know his prison has been a lot harder to get around by now. It’s not exactly kindergarten anymore.”

Danny’s many escapes and prison riot attempts, had made the warden go back to the workbench and the ghost prison had made some improvement.

Danny had heard about it from Wulf and the ware-ghost had warned him that there were cells made especially for halfas now and one of them had Danny’s name on it.

“ _No_ ,” Jazz replied with annoyance, “we’ll just aske Walker to hand it over.”

All the assembled gave her a long inconceivable glance. Skulker leaned over to Danny with a whisper, “the human has lost her mind, you should probably put her down before she harms herself.”

Jazz stumped her foot on the ground, “come on! Christmas anyone? _The ghost truce?_ The only day of the year, where Walker is actually reasonable and listens to anyone than himself?”

Both Skulker and Danny got her point with a, “ohhh…”

Arianna swallowed the last of her Fenton-jerky and watched them with interest. She knew about the truce from her time in the slave pits, but never been to any celebrations.

“So I just have to go to a party and ask for my stuff? That was easy,” she concluded with a smile and turned to Skulker, “anyway, thanks for great team play, but we’ll take it from her – go say hey to Ember from me.”

“Team play?” Danny asked confused and she walked him though her shades last week’s experience.

Skulker moved out from their line of hearing and touched his hearing devise, “they will be going to the ghost truce to receive the item.”

_“Well then, seems the ghost truce party will get quite **interesting** this year.”_

-

Vlad sat in his study and drummed his fingers over the chairs side, “well then, seems the ghost truce party will get quite _interesting_ this year.”

He cut the connection to the hunter and leaned forward in his chair, with his eyes locked on the screens. Jasmine, Daniel and Arianna waved as Skulker flew back into the ghost zone and closed the portal off.

They moved upstairs and it was time to change channel, but Vlad had seen enough. The billionaire rose from his work chair and left the three wide plasma screens. He left the dark room and moved down a staircase to reach the new installed lab he had worked in ever since February.

Two duplicates had worked here seven hours a day nonstop and he had view their progress swiftly from his screens and own telepathic connection. After careful calculation, detailed blueprints and medical studies, he was finally ready and could take the machine in sight.

The empty cylinder stood cold and sterile in its holder and the machinery connected to its sides, was running smoothly with destabilizing pressure and configurations. He stroked the cylinder’s glass almost tenderly and saw his own distorted reflection in it.

Studied it.

Any camera could flash and immortal an image of him down to every last detail, but still the worlds never really seemed to grasp what exactly lay deeper than what the cameras caught. Vlad Masters the billionaire. Vlad Master the man of the year.

The eternal bachelor and desired CEO.

Genius and Green Bay Packers fanatic.

He could buy whatever he desired in this world, access impossible things and acquire what was not possible for man. And yet he wanted more. There was always something that was gnawing at him, something that kept his thought in check and formed new goals to reach.

Vlad knew all about desire and possession. He had built his life on the relationship between the two opposites. If he wanted something, only time stood between him and the acquisition.

Money was power and power was built on his desires. But there were things that could not be obtained. Even if he wished for them.

And that was requited feelings and love.

Vlad had fallen in love with Maddie the first year of his acquaintance with her – and why not? She was beautiful, intelligent and charming. She had held a light in her that had captivated his young heart and all he had wanted was to have her see the same in him.

Nothing had changed in him the day he awoke from the coma, but she was no longer his star and shone for another. Vlad had been sick with jealousy and only wanted to steal her back, for his own sake and the hurt of Jack.

Punish Jack Fenton for having betrayed Vlad's friendship and destined him a fate as a freak.

Vlad hadn’t dare to ask himself for a long time, but had still found themselves asking the same question repeatedly the last few years. A simple and still so groundbreaking question.

Did he still love Maddie?

It had troubled Vlad far longer than it should and he had found himself locked in the same train of thoughts more than few times. Had his love for Maddie simply been a pinning out of the which to possess and shallow desire?

A gain for the sake of revenge?

Vlad had never set out to reconsider his choices, never lost footing and forced himself to question himself and his actions, but things changed. He had changed.

This self-doubt had started the day he and Daniel had struggled in the Fenton laboratory and Vlad for the first time in his life as a half-ghost, had found himself divided into two existences by the Fenton Ghost Catcher.

Vlad closed his eyes at the memory.

He had felt remarkable... _lighter_ without Plasmius in his body. Calm and peaceful. Everything had felt so uncomplicated. Even his feelings for Maddie. His human side had held strong feelings for her, but not the romantic kind, more the feelings you have for a dear friend.

The same had applied for Jack, which had confused him dearly afterwards. No hatred, no anger and no wish for revenge. The human Vlad had been so serene, so loving, _soooooo_ forgiven.

Plasmius had been a completely different story and Vlad had been horrified when they again became one again. While Vlad’s human part had enjoyed the simpler things in life, his ghost had been out searching for Jack in the desire to kill him, which was expected, but he haven’t searched for Maddie for the sake of making her his wife, mistress or queen.

He had wanted to rape her. Hurt her. Destroy her.

The desire had been driven by so much anger and Plasmius desire to punish her for having refused him and humiliated him, making her see all the wrongdoings she had inflicted him and made him weak, had burned through his ghost side like acid.

Vlad had received a clear picture from his ghost sides inner retina and been stunned by his ghost’s sides horrific imagination. He had wanted to torture her and finally strangle her in the act.

All the while Jack Fenton would have been forced to watch.

It had shaken Vlad in his foundation that such yearning could have a place in him and he spent some time in solitude to think. A couple of months after he had found himself in a daze of troubled thoughts and booze in one of his hundreds of living rooms.

Stared into his fireplace as if it held all the answers.

Where was the boundary between Masters and Plasmius? Where did his desires start and Plasmius end? Who controlled who? He had often thought they might be one and the same, but now he wasn’t so sure.

Had Plasmius changed him? The real Vlad? The Vlad _before_ the accident?

His library had only been able to tell him that ghost operated by their ghostly obsession and would haunt the living world in hopelessness till this purpose was for filled. The last wish created in the living mind before death would be the desire for the rest of the ghost’s existence and possible eternity.

Vlad had thrown the book into the fire. The mere thought of himself being controlled by an old desire formed in his young and naive human mind for the rest of his half-ghost life, was simply unacceptable.

He had survived the portal incident – he hadn’t died all the way through. He wasn’t a ghost that had succumbed down to a mindless obsession. At least, he realized…until now. In the light of the fire, he had given himself a promise.

Vlad Masters would no longer be ruled by his ghostly nature. It was time that he took his life into his own hands and shaped his life to his own desires again. Twenty years was about time.

He turned to the table behind him. A simple board of chess was standing in an abandon play and showed the match of an equal stalemate. Vlad exhaled with a slight smile and picked up the white runner.

The piece had defended the board bravely and had stood loyal besides its new queen. The white queen stood tall and proud on the center of the board and held the other pieces in check. Vlad placed the runner by her side again and picked up one of the black pieces.

“You fought for so long, little badger. Even in the direst of odds.”

He sighed as he opened his hand and fund the black queen. She had been his favorite for so long. A piece he had treasured and hoped to actives one day. But he was done dreaming and let the piece leave the board to rest besides the white king.

He guessed they could stay tighter for all he cared now. He had other pieces to care for now. New obsessions.

He placed the black king in front of the two white pieces and leaned over the table on his hands.

“Times up, my boy.”


	35. How you doing, well I'm doing just fine I lied, I'm dying inside

Danny watched his parents doing their annual fighting from the couch and sulked.

While other kids were having a family dinner, or watching Christmas specials on the TV, his family had made it tradition to threw a huge fight in the middle of the living room and spend the night with yelling and raised fingers.

Danny was sick of it.

Sick.

Of.

It.

Ghost writer may had taught him a lesson, but that didn’t change the fact that his parents would fight on and pester every single Christmas evening, with their stupid discussion whether Santa was real or not.

He turned the TV volume up just to challenge the sound of the fight. There was no real use trying to outshout them with the TV – they would just shout louder or yell that he should turn off the TV.

Danny was ready to go for his own little tradition – a long angry walk through the town to feel sorry for himself, when Jazz poked his shoulder and smiled reassuring.

“She says she ready, come on.”

Danny had all forgot about their little arrangement with Arianna and followed his sister out of the living room.

“We’re going out carol singing!” Jazz yelled, but their parents didn’t even seem to notice them and kept fighting. Danny looked back at them. He really loved them, but doing this shit every Christmas was unbearable.

They took the lift to the Emergency Ops center and stepped into the wide control room, to the sound of soft, but unknown Christmas toons and the smell of roasted duck. Danny blinked. Arianna had turned the whole center into a small living room and dedicated it to the Christmas spirit.

But not a Christmas he was familiar with.

All the decoration was made from pine decoration, tree trunks and small red clad Christmas elves. The white and red cardboard she had brought earlier, had been used to braid something that looked like hearts and paper cones decorated with Victorian die cuts, which was filled with little cookies and sweets.

The tree was placed in the middle of the room and shone with warm candle lights and red and golden ornaments. They moved around the tree and found a table covered with food. Arianna waited for them at the table in a red dress and smiled.

“There you are.”

“This looks amazing,” Jazz noted with a bright smile and Danny poked one of the decoration in distrust.

“Did you steal a forest or something? What’s with all the pines and miniature santas?”

Jazz kicked his shin and hugged Arianna, who was obvious to Danny’s sour mood.

“So how do you wanna do this?”

Danny sulked, “yeah, what do we do now?” The sooner they started on this whole arrangement, the sooner he could escape and continue to hate Christmas. Arianna lead them to the table.

“Well I haven’t done this for some time…but I thought we could eat and then do some Christmas games from my country and have some sweets.”

Danny sat and frowned at the table. The duck looked normal enough with apples and plums and the steaming potatoes was something he knew as well. What he didn’t recognize were the two plates of cooked red and white cabbage, and the dish of small potatoes turned in some kind of syrup.

The sauce was unnaturally dark and fat, but not as fat as the roast pork and the fried sausage. He raised an eyebrow when an almost black bear was poured into a glass in front of him.

“Danish people drink Christmas eve?”

“They drink every eve,” Arianna grinned and sat down, “but this is a very light sweet beer, so you won’t get drunk from it. There almost no alcohol in it…almost. All Danish children drinks it Christmas eve – now,” she started and clapped her hands together.

“I know the food might be strange and if you don’t like it, I have dessert ready, so help yourself,” she said with a smile. Jazz shrugged and digged in with a little bit from all the plates. Danny sighed and followed her example.

He found that he actually liked the roasted pork, it’s skin had turned all crispy in the oven and tasted almost like chips and the duck was perfect. He didn’t like the sausage though, to sweet and it confused the hell out of his taste buds.

The potatoes were normal and the sauce tasted like the duck making it sorta okay. The red cabbage was cooked soft and tasted sweetly, but the white one had been mixed with something Danny figured could be cream and pepper. 

He guessed it was okay, but a little too strange for him – what he didn’t get at all was the small potatoes. Arianna informed him that they were called sugar-potatoes in Denmark. No kidding. Danny could only stare.

What kind of human in their right mind would serve a potato in melted frosting? And make it a tradition!?

“Why is everything so sweet on this table? Is it a Danish thing?”

She just shrugged, “why is there so much butter on the American table?”

Danny didn’t have an answer to that and sticked to the things that he knew on the table. Jazz laughed at him, but did the same. What a hypocrite.

Arianna didn’t seem offended when half of the food was left untouched and brought in the dessert. Danny didn’t know what he had expected, “rice pudding?”

“With crunchy almonds and vanilla,” the host informed and placed a pot of steaming sauce of cherries on the table.

“Okay, there’s a game for the dessert. Somewhere in this bowl of ‘ris ala mande’, there’s a whole almond hidden. The one that gets it wins a prize.”

“Why?” Danny asked and she just shrugged, “tradition. Plus, the winner gets to brag about it.”

Jazz and Danny both felt the old-known sibling completion spark, stared at each other for a second and digged in like animals. Arianna giggled and watched them with a smile, “well more cherry sauce for me I guess.”

Danny was though his third plate, when he found the almond. He showed it victoriously to Arianna and Jazz pouted, “no fair!”

“Don’t worry, there's a second place,” Arianna laughed and handed them their presents. Danny’s prize was a chocolate coated piggy of nougat and pink marzipan.

“It’s an old Danish tradition, that the winner gets a marzipan-piggy – normally people can buy them in the Danish shops, but I had to make it myself since you don’t sell them here,” she explained and placed a hand sized chocolate heart in front of Jazz.

Jazz smiled and brushed a finger over the Victorian die cut of Santa that was glued to it with chocolate.

“Is that a Danish tradition to put these on cakes?”

“Actually it’s a little history to it, yes. In the 1800’s Danish people only ate dark fiber bread and only had white bread on Sundays, because they didn’t have fridges or other ways to store soft bread and cake over longer periods. Then the pepper and honey cakes became very popular, because they could be stores without getting dry and expire for a long time. That way you could serve them if you got unannounced visit and have sweets in the winter. They started selling them at Christmas time and put Santa on them as a trend.”

Danny bite the head of his prize and smiled, “taste good. What other games do you have?”

She introduced them to a game she translated as ‘the present game’ and placed a bunch of small presents on the table, before giving Danny a cup and dice. If he got a sixer, he could take one of the presents and if not, he had to hand the dices to the person next to him and wait for his turn.

When all the presents had been taken, Arianna started a countdown and changed the rules. If you got a sixer now, you could steal one of the others presents.

Danny told himself it was stupid, but soon found himself fighting with nails and teeth for his presents and laughing, as he got to steal one of Jazz’s small presents.

He had collected five presents when the time ran out. Both him and Jazz was joking like little kids as they unwrapped their presents and found silly gifts like candy, toys and pepper-cookies inside.

Danny thought the night was over, when Arianna dragged them to their feet and made them hold her hand, before walking around the Christmas tree. They didn’t know any Danish Christmas songs, so she made them sing the English ones they could, while they danced around the tree.

It was so strange, that Danny couldn’t stop laughing as Arianna tried making them sing in danish.

She finally gave up and brought the presents out from under the tree. “One for Danny and one for Jazz, you guys want to go to Sam and Tuckers place later and give them their presents?”

“Sure,” Danny retorted and took his presents, but got a bad feeling, “wait you didn’t steal these, did you?”

Arianna made a mocking face like she was offended.

“Danny Fenton! I can place my hand on the bible and assure you that I actually used my paycheck to get these.”

“I’m proud of you,” Danny said with a grin and unpacked his present. He was a little confused when he found a USB-stick. Arianna smiled secretively, “you can watch the content when you get the time.”

“Alright,” he said and gave her a present, “we actually got something for you too.”

Both siblings watched in excitement as she opened the present. She smiled and lifted the little Phantom keychain. The little Danny Phantom figure shone in the light and a little DP logo hang beside him.

Danny had got the idea when he had passed one of the Danny Phantom fan shops on a walk with Arianna and she had laughed at him.

“It’s for your bag, when you get it back.”

She looked up at them with a smile, “I love it. It will remind me of you guys when I go back home.”

Danny felt the depression return. That’s right…when she had received her bag tomorrow morning, she would have no reason to stay any longer. She had only stayed to clear all tracks behind her and could go home without the fear of being followed by the ghost from the cube.

Danny looked down and Arianna gave him a guilty look.

“Listen…there something I should have told you guys for some time now,” she said and sat down in front of them with a sigh. Danny stiffed, “is it about your human half, isn’t it?”

Arianna was silent for a second, “you knew?”

Both Danny and Jazz nodded and Arianna looked down, “then I guess Tucker and Sam does to – there’s really no use playing around anymore.” She took her little gold rimmed glasses of and turned them in her hands, “my human half…I… I think it’s dying.”

Danny had suspected something bad, but not that alerting. Jazz placed a hand over her mouth and Arianna leaned back with a distant expression.

“I have tried saving it with my healing powers and the medication I could find at Axion lab, but…I think it’s time to stop being disillusioned. It’s over.”

“No,” Danny said and rose from the table, “you can’t just die like that!”

“Danny…”

“I’m not abandoning you like that! We have to do something!”

Arianna gave him a stern look, “like what, Danny? It’s a miracle I’m still standing as my human form looks right now. Healing it would take an even greater miracle. I don’t know who could perform such a thing. I would need a private lab filled with ghost and human doctors or experts.”

“Our parents,” Jazz suggested, “they have saved a halfa before with their equipment and could probably do it again.”

“I have already tried that,” Danny admitted, ashamed and looked at Arianna, “but it didn’t work. If we’re to use their help, we have to tell them what they are dealing with…”

“Maybe it’s time you both come out of hiding,” Jazz suggested and placed a hand on her brother’s shoulder, “you have to tell them, Danny.”

Arianna shook her head, “it’s too dangerous. If they don’t accept Danny, we will both be on the run and it would all have been for nothing. My treatment would require years to recover with heavy care. I don’t even know if I would be able keep myself conscious if I first switched back to human again. That excludes hospitals for the same reasons. I would be taken by the Guys in White, the second I get under a doctor's loupe.”

They all fell back into silence and Danny felt the hopelessness take hold of him.

“Then what are you gonna do?”

She had zoomed out and focused on him again. She smiled tiredly, “I have accepted this for some time now, Danny. I’m not afraid of dying anymore, I just want to go home.”

“To your family?” Jazz asked and Arianna nodded deep in thought.

“I’m going back to find my father and little brother. I’m going to tell them everything and give them the apologize they deserves. I will take care of them the best I can and secure them financial with my powers if needed and wait it out there. They are the only one who needs to know I’m alive anyway. I can’t explain my absence to the authorities and I don’t want the attention either. When the time comes, I will be with my family and get to say goodbye in person. They will finally have a coffin to fill and everything will be as it should. I have accepted it.”

Danny shivered, she was talking like she was already dead.

-

The annual ghost truce was held in the lair of Lunch lady and Danny had to use his own homemade ghost zone map to find the place. As he had hoped, the Cube had honored the zones truce and left the portal – at least for tonight.

Nightshade followed behind him like a tourist, watching everything in wonder and drifting around in curiosity.

“This end of the ghost zone sure is quiet!”

“Wait to we get there,” Danny warned in deep concentration and followed one of the more known routes, “all the ghost will be there in one place – the only reason I ever go to this truce, is because they’re all forgetting their personal shit and being friendly for one night.” 

Danny had come to the truce two times before, when he got enough of the shouting back home and needed some peace. The ghost never bothered him to much when he arrived and it was actually pretty entertaining seeing some of his enemies’ dunk and acting like silly idiots.

He had never seen Plasmius there and hoped this time would be the same.

“Listen, I don’t know what they put in the punch in there, but I took a cup once and ended up at Desiree place with no memory, no clothes and a crazy hangover.”

Arianna snorted, “sounds like one of my college parties. I didn’t remember anything, but a video got out with me dancing and stripping on a table.”

Danny winced, but she just laughed, “they girls from my dorm had it deleted before it spread and I’m not sorry – it was good times. I was told it was pretty hot.”

They arrived at the right floating door and Danny stopped with the hand ready to knock, “wait, uhm…do we have a plane?”

She shrugged, “get around, find Walker, ask for my bag with fluttering eyelashes and go home?”

Danny nodded and considered warning her about Plasmius for a second. He sighed and knocked, better not tell. He was not in the mood to explain himself right now.

The Box ghost opened with a red Santa hat on his head.

“HAPPY CHRISTMAS!” he grinned with a filled cup and smiled to Danny, before noticing Nightshade, “who’s your friend?”

Danny handed the ghost the bottle of vine they had brought as a host gift.

“This is Nightshade, she’s with me.” Arianna smiled and waved. Box ghost seemed to be okay with it, “alright, come in!”

The followed him into the crowded lair and was meet with the sight of ghosts dancing, drinking, and swarming around the buffet, or just talking and hanging out in the couches or tables. Danny tried spotting Walker and his white suit, but failed.

“Maybe his not here yet,” Danny told Nightshade and moved further in. They found Skulker drinking shots with Bullet and Lunch lady showing of her growing belly to some of the female ghosts. Danny congratulated her, well knowing that the future ghost Lunch box now was on her way into existing.

“Let me guess, the Box ghost?”

“Yes,” she smiled and rubbed her belly, “how did you know, dear?”

Danny just shrugged, “lucky guess?”

He caught a glimpse of Technus and wondered when the day would come when the ghost would fuse with Skulker. But maybe that wouldn’t come true, since he wouldn’t become Dan either? So confusing.

“Ghost-child, you brought the three-eyed ghost?”

Danny turned to Technus who handed them both a cup of punch. The ghost grinned, obvious drunk.

“I saw a wanted poster for her the other day – the Soul City is looking for her. Pretty price on her head!”

Danny didn’t like that, but Nightshade just giggled, “well after tonight I’m out of their hair – hey, have you seen Walker? We want to talk to him.”

“Can’t say I have, hey wanna dance?” he asked seductively, “Ember is about to play her song.”

Nightshade lighted up, “really! I’m her biggest fan – let’s go!”

She grabbed Technus before Danny could stop her and disappeared into the dancing crowd.

“Great,” he sighed and continued the search alone. He put his cup aside and found no other than Youngblood playing Santa, while annoying the hell out of the ghost reindeers that had become a part of the truce party ever since Ghost writer made them.

“Fly, Spooky! Float, Specter! Come on, Deathoof, Thrasher, Maimer, Vicious, Blood Antlers, and Slasher!” the ghost kid yelled with a grin and ran around the retarded animals with his white beard and little sack on his shoulder, “come on its Christmas eve!”

“Hey, Youngblood,” Danny greeted and was meet with a big toothy smile.

“Hey Danny! Wanna play Santa’s helper?”

“Maybe later,” Danny promised, “hey, have you seen Walker?”

Youngblood shook his head, “no but that Plasmius guy showed up – everybody’s talking about it. He’s weird – and scary!”

Danny felt dead rolling down his spine and flew back to the dancefloor. He had to find Nightshade and get the hell outta here. Vlad never came to the truce, the only reason he could be here, was because of them.

He still didn’t know what Vlad wanted with her, but it couldn’t be anything good. Danny tried getting in between two ghosts and was grabbed.

“My, my, Danny Phantom, what’s the hurry, sweety?”

Penelope Spectra smiled like the cat that had swallowed the canary and digged her red nail deeper into his shoulder to secure her grip, “you look like you have seen a ghost? Ha!”

Danny got free with a shrug, “haha, nice pun, Spectra – I’m fine, just looking for Nightshade.”

Spectra hummed, “I just talked to her, actually, poor Technus couldn’t keep up with her on the dancefloor and needed a break.” She chucked and leaned in to him, “your so pail and that smell,” she inhaled and leaned closer, “why so afraid, Danny?”

“I’m not scared,” he sneered and pushed her of him. She smiled insinuating and followed him across the floor.

“Maybe not scared – _worried_ would be a better word. It’s rolling of you like sweet smoke and it’s hard to miss. What’s your secret?”

Danny ignored her and ran into Kitty and Johnny dancing. The biker was clearly drunk and bumped into Danny with a laugh.

“Sorry – hey it’s you, man,” he slurred and clapped Danny on the back, “I saw the lady you came with – nice catch, man. She’s hot! Well maybe more eyes than most, but still.”

He hung on Danny now and Kitty took over with a giggle, “Johnny, you dog!”

“Sorry, babe, you’re the only one for me,” he continued and placed a cup in Danny’s hand, “you should lose up, Danny. Looking all stiff and sober over there.”

“Thanks,” Danny sighed and debated for a second if he should take a sip or not. He decided not to take the chance.

“Have you seen her in there?” he asked a pointed into the crowd, “or Walker maybe?” If they were fast they could get the bag and get outta here, before Vlad found them.

“I saw her alright – driving everyone crazy with her moves and send Technus into overdrive, man. She’s a keeper,” he said with a serious nod and pointed to the other end of the room, “Walker’s having a little drinking competition with Skulker and Bullet over there. Don’t get to close or they drag you in and you seriously don’t wanna drink against those guys. They’re nuts!”

Danny thanked him and handed Johnny back to Kitty, before continuing his search for both Nightshade and Walker. Ember was giving a number up at the scene and made the dancefloor go crazy and jumpy.

Danny floated above them to get a better picture, but didn’t find her. Spectra waited for him back on the floor and followed him like a parasite.

“Finally told your parents about your little secret? That would get anyone on their toes, I say – or what about that gloomy little girlfriend of yours? She’s seeing someone else? Making you all edgy and worked up? Young humans are so stressed out these days, making me look like I’m in my twenties again.”

“Just leave me alone!” Danny snapped and found the little drinking gang. Bullet and Skulker was eyeing each other while throwing down small black shoots, like it was lemonade. They were encouraged by those who watched from the couches and more booze found its way to their table.

Spectra joined the couch where Bertrand and Desiree sat and Danny sighed in relief, finally free. Walker stood judge between the two contestants and Danny moved over to him. A hand locked on his shoulder and pulled him back from the scene, Danny turned to the sight of Plasmius fanged grin with a yelp.

“Daniel, how nice running into you here.”

Danny got over his semi heart attack and pushed his archenemy off him, “what you’re doing here, Plasmius?”

Vlad chuckled to Danny’s great irritation, “well this is a ghost party, is it not? I thought it might be worth seeing it for myself this year and meeting some new _people._ ”

He drawled at the last part and Danny clenched his fists, “quit playing around, we both know you only here ‘cause of Nightshade – what is it that you want from her, you creep?”

“Well, she is an interesting lady, with interesting features. I was thinking of making her acquaintance, my boy. It’s only fair, wouldn’t you say?”

“And how’s that?” Danny sneered and moved in on the others personal space. Vlad didn’t look the least intimidates and smirked.

“The deals up, Daniel. It’s almost been a year and I say you had your time with her.”

Danny was ready to screw the ghost truce and it rules, and just plant his fist in Vlad’s ugly grinning face, when Nightshade jumped him and hugged him to her chest.

“This party is amazing! Danny you have to try this punch, I don’t know what’s in it, but it got me good! Hahah!” she laughed like an idiot and Danny had to help her to stand.

“What the – you’re drunk!?”

“I’m _pumped!_ Lead me to a table and I give a dance show!”

Danny opened his mouth to tell her he had warned her about the cups content, but froze. Vlad was eyeing her like he was undressing her with his eyes, taking her in and moving around her as if she was an item on display for the highest bidder.

Danny felt resentment color his mind and grabbed her with a griwl, “come, let’s find you some water and a place to cool down.”

He moved them in between the bystanders and zigzagged to leave Vlad behind. When he couldn’t feel Vlad’s signature anymore, he sighed and placed Nightshade firmly on an empty couch.

“I told you not to drink that stuff.”

“I’m fine,” she replied with a silly smile, that didn’t fool him for a second and Danny sat down next to her. Melted some of his ice in a cup and handed it to her, “what were you thinking?”

She just shrugged and took the cup, “I don’t know…I just wanted to have a little mindless fun before I leave and then I felt guilty for not going straight home to my family, and when I feel guilty I drink and so on and so on...”

She sighed and leaned back, “but your one to talk. That ghost was the one who helped you free me back at the Soul Center.”

Danny stiffed, “his just…uhm…”

“I know you don’t like him very much and for some reason you don’t want me to meet him – I get it, but I’m not sure I understand. Is it because he’s the opposite of your core? Ice and fire normally can’t deal with each other.”

Danny lifted an eyebrow, “Plasmius is a fire core? I always thought he was electricity.”

“Well…his signature feels like that of a fire, but it’s a little like your ice powers. Your more in touch with stiff water, than liquor and he’s more in touch with concentrated lightning than natural flames. But it’s like there’s something missing – like it’s not all developed yet… It’s a little like you and me, we are halfas and our potential is evolving with our human forms all the times. Normal ghost has their powers develop already a short time after their spawned.”

Danny was desperate to change or turn the subject away from Vlad and leaned forward, “I’ve never felt a ghost power just by focusing on their signature – where have you learned that?” 

She took a last sip of the cup and he refilled it.

“I was trained in it while I was a slave. It was necessary to know what kind of ghost you were going to fight a few seconds before meeting them in the arena. It could save your life,” she recalled with a grin and placed a hand on his chest, “to know a ghost’s powers, you just have pick up their signature and use your own cores resonance – a little like what bats do, you know. You use your core’s own signature as a pulse and sent it out in waves – try.”

Danny wasn’t sure he got the concept, but closed his eyes anyway and did as she instructed him. She pushed on his chest and leaned to whisper in his ear, “just reach out with your ghost sense and let it flow in waves. Let it flow like the water in you. Like a pulse.”

Danny tried, but didn’t feel anything other than that he was surrounded by ghosts and was ready to give up, when a faint black light began to pulsate in front of him.

“Wait. I’m sensing something.”

“Well if it's black, that would be my core – try turning and tell me what you see.”

Danny turned in his seat and reached further. More pulsating color appeared in different sizes and colors. He frowned when they came back to him with different strengths.

“Yours’s still the biggest one,” Danny noted and opened his eyes. Nightshade crocked an eyebrow with a sweet cooing, “aww, thanks, Danny. That goes for your too – but it is strange, don’t you think? We’re only half ghost and still our cores are stronger than all the rest of this place. There must be ghost in here that have existed for thousands of years and runs around with powerful cores.”

“Well, Dora says she’s at least sixteen hundred years.”

Her eyes widened, “I have to hear her life story – anyway, knowing other ghosts core types was pretty evident before going into a fight in the arena. The ward that trained me, told me I was a witch or shadow-ghost and would be strong against most types, but not my own kind and psychic cores.”

Danny took her cup and made sure Vlad haven’t found them.

“Your own kind?”

She pointed around, “there’s Spectra over there and I met a young biker at the dancefloor with a shadow following him a little while ago. We are the same.”

Danny frowned. He had fought both Spectra and Johnny 13 and fund them nothing like Nightshade. “But their nothing like you.”

“You sure about that? They are both dark cores and have powers based of shadows and darkness. I will admit my powers is more rubber or oil based, but his shadow looks a lot like my shades, don’t you think? I guess Spectra is more of a fusion with her leech powers and more witch than me and him. Maybe you could call her more of a demon-ghost, than witch-ghost. Maybe her mother or father was a psychic core.”

Danny peaked up, “you can be more than one kind of core?”

Nightshade seemed to have gotten a lot soberer and crossed her legs, to sit more straight.

“Yeah, everyone has a type of core in them – even humans. When a human dies and becomes a ghost, the type of their parent’s soul decided which kind of core their soul is formed into. The biker kid -”

“Johnny,” Danny corrected her and she snapped her fingers.

“Johnny – I guess his parents have been a shadow and maybe metal soul. The shadow is more dominating in him, but he has talent when it comes to metal and iron. All ghost has one or more elements in their core and decide their powers, based on their human souls, if they haven’t been born as a ghost.”

She pointed to Ember on the scene, “Ember is clearly a fire ghost, but uses sound and music based powers, more than fire. Same goes for Skulker back there. He’s clearly a fire type core to, but uses mechanics just like Johnny. Technus I danced with earlier…I guess he must be a child of two electro parents.”

Danny looked around him and saw the ghosts in a whole new light. If all cores could be placed into different types, their weakness could be calculated just by knowing their types. Danny guessed it was a little like Pokémon, where everybody knew water trumped fire and earth won over water.

Many of his past fights made a lot more sense now and Danny leaned back with a whole new understanding. If he was water and Vlad fire, he should be the strongest one, but electricity trumped ice. It all made sense now.

“You know, it’s funny – other than you, the only ice-core I can spot is the guy over there in the pink stripped shirt.”

Danny snapped out of it and followed her finger. Klemper sneezed and made a part of the dancefloor slippery. A couple of ghosts fell on their butts and Klemper sniffed sickly, “will you guys be my friend?”

Danny rolled his eyes and turned back to her, “there’s a realm up north where the ice yetis’ lives, but I don’t think they celebrate Christmas. They never show up at the truce.”

“Well, there you got your natural born ghost cores, then,” she concluded, “they are born with ice powers only and will probably continue being like that, if they keep to themselves and don’t mix with others.”

Danny thought back to Box lunch, who would get powers in both the box and food department. Danny sat up as Walker moved by.

“We better get Walker before he disappears again.”

Nightshade rose from the couch, “I get him – you go have fun!”

Danny watched her as she moved up to the warden and got his attention. Danny was going to sit down again, when Vlad appeared beside him.

“She’s an excellent teacher, I must say.”

Danny groaned, “do you never get tired of your own crap? – stop spying on us!” Vlad only smirked and tussled Danny hair, “ha ha – no.”

The teen sighed and stood, “listen, I don’t know what you’re planning, but she won’t join you freely, Plasmius. The second I tell her who you are, she’s gonna fight you. Trust me you don’t wanna fight her,” he warned darkly, “you can’t manipulate her. She’s not stupid.”

“She’s a woman, Daniel. Women might be a mystery to us all, but I have my methods, my boy.”

Danny was ready with a snarky comment, when Walker raised his voice, “it is part of a crime scene and belong in the department now. It’s the rule.”

“It’s my bag, it’s not rocket science, Mr. Walker. My name is even on it. Can I _please_ have it back?”

“No, the prison doesn’t hand out evidence – and furthermore, it belongs with other real-world items.”

“I _AM_ a real-world item,” Nightshade snapped and got most of the bystander’s attention. Danny guessed she wasn’t as sober as he had thought and heard someone whisper _‘she’s a halfa’_ behind him.

Oh no.

“Can’t hand it over to you, missy. That’s against the book of ghost rules,” Walker continued and waved with the tome. Nightshade crossed her arms, “but those rules are for ghost – I am a halfa. So it doesn’t apply to me. Does it say anything about half-ghosts, sir? Does it?”

Walker actually looked uncertain for a second and started scrolling the pages with concern, “now wait a second!”

Most of the bystanders had started mumbling and whisper to each other and Danny ran up to her. “Okay maybe we should just go now – like right now.”

“But I’m owning this guy,” she whined and resisted when Danny tried to pull her with him. Danny was getting desperate now and more than ready to try making a portal right under their feet, when Vlad cleared his throat.

“Walker, if I could have a word? The bag was stolen from this lady and since she hasn’t done anything against the rules of your book or the ghost zone, I would say it would be a pleasant Christmas gesture, to return the bag to her. It is Christmas after all and the truce tells us to be civil, does it not?”

The warden actually looked like he was considering Plasmius words. He had been pressed up in a corner with the whole halfa question and that bag had taken up a lot of space in his office. He closed his book and smiled, “well it is Christmas. But you will have to signed some formulas of course.”

He called one of his minions to him and sent him to the prison. Danny felt on edge and just wanted to go home. Nightshade turned to Plasmius with a smile, “that was really nice of you. Thank you, sir.”

Vlad smirked and took her hand to Danny’s horror. “There’s no need, my dear. That’s the least I could do for a lady in distress. Call me Vlad.”

Danny was going to vomit, “yeah, yeah you helped us – now go.”

“Danny, I know you don’t like him, but that’s not very polite,” she corrected him and Vlad looked like he was having the time of his live.

“She’s right, Daniel. Is that really how you treat others that helps you? Hmm?”

“Only manipulating Fruitloops!”

Nightshade peaked up, “ooh, so _he’s_ the fruitloop you always talk about!”

Danny snickered and Vlad send him a look that promised murder in near future. Any murder attempts were forced to a halt luckily, as the graceful return of Walker’s minion interrupted them.

Nightshade took the bag with a bright smile and hugged the red shoulder bag into her chest.

“Damn I missed you,” she whispered, checked the inside of the bag, and pulled her passport out from the secret pocket, “finally.”

“Well we’re out!” Danny exclaimed, grabbed her, and shoot though the door in highest speed possible.

Back at the party, Vlad smirked.


	36. Aaaand It's Gone!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey people!   
> Here it is, the last chapter of this fic - my first fic actually. It's kinda weird to finish it, but I guess thats normal   
> I'm almost done with the sequel, just two or three chapters away from having something to post and I hope you guys up for it   
> Hope you enjoy - I know i did
> 
> * * *

Danny sat in the couch with Sam and Tucker.

None of them was saying anything, none of them broke the silence. Jazz looked up from her book back at the armchair. It was her gift from Arianna, a book about psychology of course, but she seemed to love it, so Danny guessed it was a nice gift.

He had told them about what had happened at the ghost truce and Jazz had filled both Sam and Tucker in on the situation back at the Christmas dinner. Both had been shocked to hear that Arianna lived on borrowed time and would go home to rest for the last time.

They had come to spend one last day with her, but for Danny they looked more like people coming to pay their last respect.

He hated it.

Sam had offered to use her trust fund money for research for some super cure or buy Arianna a team of lip tied scientist, but they all knew it was too risky and farfetched, and Arianna kindly refused. 

She just wanted to go home.

Danny could understand that. If he knew he was dying the only place he would want to be, would be in the arms of his family to. Dany couldn’t imagine a life without them and that just made this all more unacceptable for him.

Nightshade had showed up in Danny world as a bright hope for meeting another of his rare kind. A mentor and likeminded that would understand what it meant to be a halfa and undead in the world of the living.

When they had made the truce, she had turned out to be more than just an allied and Danny had found a second mother in his life. Arianna had understood something essential about him and his problems living in both the dead and living world, and didn’t judge him for struggling with both school and human life.

She had taught him just as much about life as about his powers and seemed to belong as a teacher and mentor by his side. She had only been here a year, but Danny couldn’t imagine a time – or a future – without her.

“This sucks,” he whispered and Sam sighed for the third time that morning.

“I know, but lest just make the best of it, Danny.”

Danny clenched his teethes, “it’s not fair. Finally, another halfa shows up in my life and then she’s going to die just like that. It’s. Not. Fair.”

Sam bite her lip and Tucker gave him a sorrowful gaze, “this is hard for all of us, man. She’s leaving us to, you know.”

Danny wanted to scream that it wasn’t the same – they were humans and had their parents and friends to guide them through a living life, while he was stuck in his half-existence filled with uncertainty, stumbling though Ghost Writer’s library in blind and teaching himself in a lonely basement, while trying to get his crumbling life together.

But of course, he couldn’t say out loud that and just kept quiet. They wouldn’t understand anyway.

They all looked up to the sound of steps and Arianna walked in. She had her red bag over the shoulder and had changed to a white sweater dress. Danny felt nauseous. It almost looked like a burial outfit.

She had attached the little Danny Phantom keychain to the bag and in the other hand she held a duffle bag of the loose belongings she had collected through the month she had lived in Amity Park. 

She smiled to them like nothing was wrong.

“So. What do you guys want to do for our last day?”

-

Jazz drove them to the Mall, where Sam just pressed her golden express card into Arianna’s hand and ordered her to start shopping to her hearts contented.

That easily killed a couple of hours and the had their fun with silly shopping and catwalks, while making fun of the snobbish staff in some of the fancier stores, that wasn’t used to such ruckus.

Tucker made his addition to the evening and lead them to the Mall’s cinema right on time to watched _Predators_.

Jazz hid her face most of the time during the movie and screamed at the many kills and gore scenes, while Arianna and the rest had a blast and made their own sound effects when they felt like it – much to the annoyance of the rest of the seats, but none of them cared and Sam just bribed the cinema guard, when he threatened to threw them out.

They continued to the Nasty burger after the movie, where they ate and talked about anything and nothing, like they always did. As the night crept in on them, they drove to the lake when the light started to dim and sat by the shore.

The park was mostly empty and they did as they pleased, ran around in the snow like wild kids and skipped stones across the ice on the dark lake. Danny walked beside Arianna as they moved around the lake to admire the grey sky reflection in the ice.

The snow fell silent around them and filled the world like cotton and took all high sounds away. Arianna stopped up and watched the half-frozen lake with a smile.

“My little brother would have loved to come here. He just loves ice-skating so much…or maybe did. He must be grownup by now. Probably has his own family to.”

Danny looked away with a grimace and she tuned to him with sorrow painted on her face, knowing she just reminded him of the day’s actually purpose.

“Danny, this isn’t goodbye. I will call you every day if you want me to.”

“It’s not the same,” he whispered, “your gonna die and leave me all alone again. It’s like freeing you was all for nothing.”

He knew those were unforgivable words, but just like anything else he said, she seemed to understand.

“I know, Danny. I won’t lie, this is unbearable for me too…but at least there comes one good thing out of it.”

“Like what?”

She smiled like she was telling a joke, “we get to find out what happens when a halfa dies.”

Danny groaned and she threw a snowball at him. Tucker and Sam ran the last stretch to them and joined in. Arianna split into four other shades, since they were alone at the park by now and Sam laughed, yelling that it was cheating.

Danny used his ice powers to make his snowballs follow the others on their own and Arianna laughed like she was going to burst.

Jazz watched them from the hood of her car and smiled at her little brother’s carefree grin. He was no longer the little brother that had problems controlling his powers anymore and dreamed of being an astronaut, with NASA poster on his walls.

Danny was almost ready to leave for college and in a month or two he would finish his start his license and be driving a motorcycle. But despite all that she could still see the little boy in him. He looked at Arianna when he was insecure about his ghost powers and treated her like she was his teacher in life.

Jazz knew Danny would have to stand on his own feet again, like he had always done, but having a mentor had been good for him. Danny seemed more assure of himself again, seemed more content in his fights. He had needed this.

And now he would lose it all again.

Jazz sighed and saw that the snow fight had ended in a bunch of kids making sow angels on the ground. Arianna took pictures of them with her phone and helped them brush the snow of themselves as Jazz called them to the car.

It was almost midnight.

The drive home was forced into cheeriness by Jazz, since they were going to drive Sam and Tucker home on the route and the mood turned gloomy. The energy that had kept the day going seemed to have come to an end and everyone made their preparations.

They got to Sam’s first and Arianna hugged her tight. Sam started crying.

“I’m not crying, I just got some eyeliner in my eye!” Sam sneered and blew her nose in irritation.

“You better call me,” she said cranky and Arianna promised. Next was Tucker and he made sure that she had all his contacts and number.

He even sat her down on the sidewalk to check her phone and laptop one last time and made sure she had both Skype and Messenger, just for safety’s sake.

The last stretch back to Fenton Work was silent and Danny watched as the female halfa took in the sight of the city from the window, one last time. Jazz had to go home to her dorm, to get back to class and made her last goodbye with Arianna before driving off.

Danny sat down in the couch. His parents were out ghost hunting and wouldn’t be home in an hour or two, meaning he and Arianna would get some time to themselves, before she left.

“Come, let’s get something to eat,” she said with a gentle smile and led him to the kitchen. Danny watched her as she worked at the stove and thought about all the times he had watched her making him breakfast or lunch like this.

She would never do that again. This would be the last time.

“There you go,” she said and placed a bacon sandwich in front of him and took a seat with her own plate. It was very simple, Danny though. A sandwich. But he knew she had put effort and possible love into it and took a bite. He felt like crying.

“You didn’t put any tomatoes in it.”

She blinked confused, “but you don’t like tomatoes?”

“I know,” he sniffed and felt tears rolling down his cheeks. He hid his face in his hand and tried getting his emotions under control. This wasn’t fair. He was supposed to be supporting and make her last day with him a good memory – and here he was, making a scene and ruining it all.

He sobbed as warm arms pulled him into a hug and he cried without control, as she rocked him and told him it was okay in a soothing voice. Danny had a feeling that this had happened before, but couldn’t remember when.

“I will never really leave you,” she whispered and pressed him to the warm glow of her pulsing core.

“I love you, like you were my own. I always will.”

“I l-love you too,” Danny sobbed and he could hear that she smiled.

“I know.”

After what felt like hours, but probably just lasted minutes, he felt like calming down and she let him go. Drying the tears from his face.

“Sorry,” he said a little ashamed, but she just tussled his raven hair.

“Don’t be – want pie?”

He nodded like a little kid and she turned back to the stoves. When the apple-pie was in the oven, they moved into the living room and watched a late Christmas special. Danny leaned into her and almost nodded of, when the doorbell rang.

Danny stood up and stretched, the clock showed 00:59.

“It’s probably my parents, you should probably hid,” he said and moved to the door. This wouldn’t be the first time his father had lost his keys and Danny had been woken up like this enough times to just open without hesitation.

Being a person with superhuman strength didn’t make you all that careful either and Danny opened without a single thought. He gasped when it wasn’t his father’s embarrassed grin that meet him.

“Hello, Daniel.”

Danny slammed the door, but it stopped as Vlad placed his loafer in the way. He opened the door with force and Danny stepped back to keep him from entering any further.

“What do you want!?”

Vlad made a mocking pose like he was pondering, “hmm, let’s see; I was in the area. I didn’t get to finish the conversation with the lovely Miss. Vølkers at the ghost truce party. Your time with the hybrid is up and as I see it, you are the only barrier between me and her – what do you think, Daniel?”

Danny scowled and turned ghost.

“Oh yeah? I may be the only thing standing between you and the door, but I think I’m worth the fight.”

“Danny? Who’s at the door?”

Danny turned human instantly and turned around with a yell, “NO ONE!”

Vlad smirked, “I see, my mistake. The only thing standing between me and the door is your own lack of discretion.”

He prevented Danny from slamming the door again, as Arianna turned around the corner and found them.

“Danny I felt your ghost-signa-…oh, hello.”

Vlad made it look like he was just leaning against the door and not using his strength to keep Danny form slamming it shut.

“Good evening, I was just about to ask my godson if his parents were home, but I see they already have company. My mistake.”

Danny grinned humorless, “yes, so we can’t have you coming in, have a nice trip home!”

“Danny,” Arianna gasped shocked and pulled him aside and out of Vlad’s hearing reach – or so she though.

“You can’t treat people like that. I know you don’t fancy this guy, but his not your guest, but your parents.”

“You can’t let him in!”

“And why is that?” she asked, genuinely interested, “I know you don’t like him, but you have never told me why. I don’t get it, Danny. I haven’t seen this guy acting like anything else than a friend to you and your parents and I even followed him around, back at the cruise ship.”

Danny widened his eyes, “you did _what_ now!?”

“I just don’t get it. What is it with this guy, that you can’t stand? I promise I slam the door right in his face if you give one good reason – just one.”

Danny just gaped, no useful words coming out of his mouth. He was half though a useful explanation and debate whenever to tell an extra-short version of the truth, when she sighed and walked back to the door.

She opened it wide and turned to Vlad with an apologetic look, “I’m sorry. Mrs. And Mr. Fenton is out working right now and I’m taking care of Danny while their out. Would you like to come in while you wait, Mr. Masters?”

“Oh, I possible _couldn’t_ ,” Vlad said in fake humility and Danny rolled his eyes.

“No, you _couldn’t_.”

Arianna mimed that he should behave and Vlad smirked, “but if you insist, then how can I refuse?”

Danny was fuming as Vlad moved past him and followed Arianna to the living room, like he owned the place and knew every twist and turn of the house, like the back of his hand. Arianna seated Vlad on the couch with the promise of tea and moved to the kitchen.

Danny threw himself in the armchair and made sure she was out of hearing reach, before he turned to Vlad.

“I’m fucking warning ya! Get out before I do something painful!”

Vlad just smiled tranquil and crossed his legs to make himself more comfortable.

“Oh let’s not be violent, my boy. That’s heartily a behavior that’s suitable in a lady’s presents, now is it? You wouldn’t make this tedious for us both. We both know a fight would end only painful for you.”

Danny’s eyes glowed toxic green and Arianna returned with a tray.

“I hope earl grey is to your taste, Mr. Masters. I’m afraid Mr. and Mrs. Fenton aren’t that much into tea.”

“Oh, I am sure it’s to my liking,” Vlad drawled and watched her as she allocated the teacups and pot on the coffee table. Danny clenched his teethe as Vlad’s eyes seemed to eat her up, even following her as she bowed forward to check if the tea was ready. She took place on the couch and smiled politely.

Playing the perfect hostess.

“I have a pie in the oven, if you would be interested, sir. I’m sure Danny’s parents are on the way.”

“That’s sound lovely,” Vlad said with a warm smile and leaned closer to her, much to Danny’s distaste.

“You take care of young Danny you said?” he asked with a charming voice and took a sip of his tea. Danny sent him daggers with his eyes. Praying to the higher powers that Vlad would choke to death on his earl grey.

Maybe he should just freeze the prick and be done with it.

Arianna haven’t seemed to catch the deadly drift between the two of them and just smiled and nodded ever so politely.

“Oh yes, I have been taken care of Danny for some time now and make sure his all right when his parents work late. You said you were Danny’s godfather?”

“No!” Danny added angry and Vlad chuckled.

“Well a sickness made me unable to be present at Daniel’s birth, but Jack has always told me that he had meant me to be Daniel’s godfather. I was Jack’s college friend and have always been welcomed in the family. An invitation I took up with great pleasure some years ago, when I had Jack and Maddie reunited with me at a college reunion. But enough of me, how about you? I haven’t even got your name, how rude of me.”

Danny felt like gaging, as Arianna just giggled. A little charmed by Vlad’s fake gentleman demeanor.

“Arianna. It’s nice to meet you to, Mr. Masters.”

“Call me Vlad,” he said and took her hand. Arianna blinked as in a starting realization. Danny could practically hear the gears of her pre-alcohol affected memories running wild and telling her that she had heard a matching set of words and voice somewhere. Danny rose with a jump.

“Is it me or do something smell burned!?”

Arianna almost jumped out of the couch, “not again!” and took off to the kitchen. Vlad sighed and turned to Danny, clearly displeased.

“Rude, Badger.”

Danny smirked.

Vlad leaned back into the couch and returned to his smirked self, “what an enchanting creature. I must say I have looked forward to try her pie.”

“You leave her alone – and her pie,” Danny sneered, “she doesn’t need the shit you represent in her life – she’s going home and you stay out of it!”

Vlad just smiled like Danny was a troublesome child that didn’t knew what he was talking about and Danny almost broke the arm on the chair from grabbing it.

“I mean it, Vlad!”

Vlad just hummed and it was driving Danny insane, it was like he was on mute or something! Vlad sighed with a resurging smile, “I know it’s hard for you to understand, Daniel. But spending some time with me would only be good for her. I only have her best in mind.”

“She’s sick to death and needs her family – not some creepy cell in your castle, fruitloop!” Danny scowled and Vlad leaned forward of his knees.

“Maybe that’s exactly what she needs, except from the cell, off course. I am going to take good care of her, my boy. You have no reason to be afraid.”

“Like hell I am! I don’t care what you think she needs – If you as much as touch her I’m gonna kill you, if you keep her from going home, I will stop you, if you don’t back up now and leave, I will fight you!”

“That’s a lot of promises,” Vlad jeered, not threatened the least “If that’s a challenge, I like to take your word for it.”

Both locked gazes with glowing eyes, ready to fight, when light footsteps made them both lean back like nothing had happened and there hasn’t just been a seething stalemate between two halfas in the Fenton living room.

“Funny, there was no burning,” Arianna mumbled a little puzzled as she returned to the living room and placed the steaming pie on a trivet. She cut Danny and Vlad a piece and decorated it with wiped cream, when she suddenly smiled.

“This reminds me of our first day together, Danny. Do you remember that? Sam wouldn’t touch the pie and you had to taste it to prove to her that it wasn’t poised.”

Both she and Vlad laughed and Danny camouflaged his unease by putting a spoonful pie in his mouth. He couldn’t taste anything at the moment and would possible have eaten a whole plate of dirt without noticing.

Arianna returned to her seat and served some more tea for Vlad with a smile, “it’s not the sweet-apples I wanted, but the shop had run out of them, so the pie might be a little bitter.”

“It’s perfect,” Vlad assured her with a seductive smile, “just like the cook.”

Danny couldn’t take anymore, “HIS AN EVIL HALFA AND HE’S GOING TO KIDNAP YOU!”

Arianna lost her jaw with wide eyes and Vlad transformed into Plasmius.

“What did I tell you, Daniel? Don’t get in my – _ARRG!_ ” Vlad roared when warm tea was thrown in his face. She squealed as he grabbed her wrist as she tried to escape. She transformed into Nightshade on the beat and turned her hand Intangible.

Danny turned ghost as well and was ready to take off with her, when an electric shock rolled through his body and he fell to his knees. The Plasmius duplicate behind him grabbed him by the hair and grinned with the Plasmius-Maximus in his hand.

Nightshade stopped her flight to the celling and turned to him with wide eyes.

“Danny!”

The air was knocked out of her when the pink ecto-ray hit her hard and slammed her against the wall. Vlad flew at her with a raised fist and she threw up a shield and made teen shades, before phasing though the wall and disappeared.

Vlad made his own duplicates to fight her shades of and phased though the wall to follow her. Danny put up a fight against his own duplicate and hissed when the duplicate gave him a fist in the stomach.

“You only have yourself to thank for this, Daniel,” he snared and yanked his hair.

“Don’t touch _him!_ ” Nightshade screamed and beheaded the duplicate with a black samurai-sword. Danny sighed as the grip disappeared and took her hand.

“Nice sword,” he commented without much air and she pulled him in behind her.

“Aikido was original sword moves and turned into martial art – I show you if I survive.”

Danny didn’t like that statement, but ignored it for now, “I get my powers back in three hours – you have to leave!”

“No,” she said with no room for discussion and pressed him down behind the couch with a, “stay here” and jumped back into the fight. Vlad teleported in front of her and made his two own knives as she lounged at him with the sword.

Danny eyes darted between the stairs to the basement, where weapons were stored and the hidden button to the Fenton ghost security system behind the emergency ham in the fridge.

The latter would probably not be a good idea, since it would attack Arianna too, but if he could get to the lab, he could get a weapon and help her fight of Plasmius.

A shade and duplicate landed on the couch he hid behind and Danny moved to a new hiding place. The duplicate tried strangle the shade, that in return hissed and clawed his body with its long nails. 

The real Plasmius was having a hard time getting in on Nightshade, who fought with an unbreakable sword style and kept teleporting around to get his weak spots.

Danny widened his eyes as the sword was in a perfect arc on its way to Vlad’s neck. The halfa’s red eyes followed it and he teleported in the last second. Nightshade made ready for an ambush and made another teen shades to protect her from all angles.

Plasmius appeared by the door to the living room, looked up and shot the fire alarm on the ceiling. Sprinklers started raining down with anti-ectoplasmic acid in alarm – a modification to the Fenton security made by Danny’s mother – and Danny gasped as all the shades started to melt, while the Plasmius duplicates turned intangible with large grins.

The sword in Nightshade’s hand dissolved to black goo as well and she stared in shock as her last shades took cover under the living rooms furniture and hissed in pain.

Danny felt dread washed over him. That was really bad news. Danny wished for the seventh time that minute, that he had just told her about Vlad from the start. Then she would have known just a little about his powers and they wouldn’t had let him in.

Danny cursed himself and tried getting closer to the stairs of the basement without getting noticed by Vlad.

He couldn’t change the past, but maybe he could still save the present.

Nightshade made an animal like scream at Plasmius and made ecto-energy flare her hands. Plasmius grinned in triumph, but then frowned as Nightshade suddenly turned on a dime and giggled darkly, before she whistled.

The shades shoot out of their hideouts and jumped Vlad’s duplicates. All the duplicates red eyes turned solid black, as the shades possessed them and the duplicates rose with matching grins. The acid couldn’t get to them now.

Vlad sneered and summoned more duplicates to take care for them. Nightshade took a fighting stand and Plasmius shoot forward with a roar. They fought with their glowing red and black ecto-energy, that almost seemed like a deadly dance to Danny and he understood now more than ever, that Vlad had held back in their past fights.

Vlad used some electrical moves that Danny had never seen before and the impact of the shots and blows, made the furniture’s bust into fire or send flying to crash against the walls where they ended up in thousand pieces.

Nightshade used her black powers as either black explosion, that spiked the walls and surfaces with little deadly needles, or spun whips that she slung around in long sharp threads, making fast cuts and skinning swipes in everything they encountered.

Danny gulped as one of the black threats made the table he had hide behind a second ago, slice into two pieces and watched it crumbled into ashes, when an electric shot hit it a second later.

Danny started to crawl for his life, had to do something before he either died or got detected by one of Vlad’s duplicates.

Vlad formed an electric ball in his hand and Danny cursed silently as it was suppressed and turned purple. Nightshade heard him and shoot though the room to get to him.

Vlad let the concentrated ball go and Danny threw his hands up to cover his head, waiting for the whole place to go up in electric lightning.

Nightshade threw a black dome-like shield over them and pulled him into her. Danny watch with pinched eye, how the whole living room exploded in white lightning and tongues of fire.

All the duplicates screamed in the white silence and burned up to nothing, before the energy retuned to both halfas.

The raining acid vaporized in a matter of seconds and the sprinklers burned up to melted metal, dripping down the celling and onto the blackened floor.

The last fire died out and left the living room in a burned darkness besides the natural light cast from the two halfas own ecto-energy and the lampposts outside.

Nightshade lifted her head, secured that Danny was unhurt and left him behind the shield, as Vlad flew at them with flaring fists. Danny couldn’t believe that his hideout behind the little shield was the only left spot in the entire living room to have carpet, planks or at least unmolted concrete.

His parents were gonna kill him.

Danny snapped back into the more urgent matter, as Nightshade came tumbling down and made a dent in the already ruined floor. Vlad clasped his hands together and formed a long electric bond and lounged at her.

Danny watched as she threw a shade out in front of herself and had it slammed back over her as a wide net of goo. The black tar spread and covered her like a second skin, just in time for her to stop Vlad, by grabbing his fists with a hiss.

The electric impulses ran over her, but didn’t seem to hurt her, like she was made out of rubber now and could divert it back to Vlad. Plasmius sneered and wrestled her. Danny knew that was a bad move and grinned as she locked his arm in one fluent move and held him in place.

Vlad got out of her grip by turning intangible and kicked her, which she dodged this time and returned the favor with a fist in the face.

Two hand locked around Danny’s shrines and he was phased down from under the shield. Plasmius smirked and phased them back up to the room, where he placed himself on the floor with Danny’s back pressed against him and locked the teen in place with his arm.

Danny stopped struggling as the click of a trigger appeared right next to his head and he eyes the gun in Vlad’s hand. The duplicate that had fought Nightshade disappeared and she stopped and searched around, before finding them behind her.

And froze.

Plasmius smirked with showing fangs.

“Surrender and I won’t shoot him.”

“Get outta here!” Danny yelled and tried kicking Vlad’s shines, but failed miserable.

Nightshade lowered herself to the floor slowly. The goo melted of her and disappeared into nothing along with the energy around her fist, that snuffed out as a candle light.

She moved to them with slow steppes and an unreadable face. She stopped when Vlad pressed the gun to Danny’s temples and eyed them both with a blank expression.

“Go down on your knees and hold your hands above your head,” Vlad continued and Danny clawed at his arm.

“Don’t listen to him – you can still get out! You can make it!”

“Danny.”

Danny stopped struggling and looked at her. She was still expressionless and he could see his own reflection in her three black eyes.

“Danny, I’m going to ask you a question and I want you to answer it truthfully no matter what.”

Danny nodded, “o-okay.”

“Danny, will he shoot you?” she asked slowly and clear. Danny haven’t expected that and shook his head in confusing, “I don’t know – just run Aria-”

“Danny. Answer me,” she warned and Danny continued shaking his head. He honestly didn’t know.

“I-I I don’t, I…”

Would he?

Until now Danny would have said no. Vlad had wanted him as a son ever since their first meeting and even though he had seemed like he was done with Danny and only wanted him for clone DNA, Vlad had moved back to trying making Danny his apprentice after the projects failure.

Vlad was alone and wanted a family – he had told Danny that all he wanted was love, but pushed Dani of him like she meant nothing to him and even tried melting her down for samples. Vlad didn’t want any family or loved ones, he wanted Danny, the half-ghost son he should had had with Danny’s mother.

And even her he had abandoned for the favor of having Danny by his side.

“Danny.”

But all that was before Nightshade. Danny wasn’t stupid, Vlad wanted her like he had once wanted his mother. Danny had seen him place his eyes one her with the same longing and desire. The same possessive gaze.

Vlad wished to possess her and Danny knew that Vlad would go far and over any limit to get what he wanted. But did he want Arianna more than Danny? Was she enough for Vlad to give up on all those sacrifices and work he had put into getting him?

Would Vlad really kill him?

“Danny answer me.”

“I can’t!” he yelled frustrated and Vlad pressed the pistol further into his temple. Getting impatient.

“Just go – !”

“DANIEL JAMES FENTON!” she yelled, making him almost jump with wide eyes and even Vlad a little stunned, “you answer me right now, this instant!”

Danny searched the floor and ceiling for the answer, but found nothing and surrendered with downcast eyes. The situation was so far out of his hands and he feared any answer that would leave his mouth. Still, he couldn’t give her the truth.

“I don’t know…sorry…”

Nightshade sighed and stepped back. Danny felt his heart break, as she bowed down on her knees and put her hands above her head in clear surrender. Vlad lifted the gun an inch and she stayed on her knees without moving.

“Excellent.”

Five duplicates placed themselves around her and Danny clenched his teeth, “no.”

Nightshade lifted her head and meet his eyes, “it’s going to be okay, Danny. I’m fine.”

Danny shook his head, “your lying. You always say that, but your lying.”

She broke down in an honest smile by that and continued smiling as the duplicates moved closer. Tried to stay brave for his sake. Vlad just snorted by the quant display.

“No, she’s not fine,” Vlad said and moved the gun from Danny to her, “but she will be.”

Danny lost his breath as the gun was fired and gasped as the shot hit her. She had closed her eyes in reflex, but opened then now in confusion. The old ghost bracelet fell of her arm, snapped in two and laid destroyed by the bullet on the floor.

The only thing keeping her in her ghost form.

Her eyes widened in horror, “no…no. No. NO! _NEJ!_ ”

She screamed as the two rings formed around her middle and started moving across her body.

“No! No! OH gud! _Nej!_ NEJ! ARG! Aaaaa _AARG!!!_ ”

Danny and Vlad watched in silence as the ragged and torn version of her sweater dress appeared and the coat disappeared along with her ghost form. Old wounds and scratches started bleeding and colored the already dirty rags, where old green and rusty stains marked her body.

She sobbed in pain and tried brushing the two rings of her in crazy desperation and tossed and struggled on the floor in agony. A smell of blood and death filled the room and Danny felt like vomiting as her hands and legs, tuned from healthy, to grey, thin, and bony.

She started coughing ectoplasm and clasped a hand over her mouth. Green ectoplasm dripped between her fingers and ran down on the floor, before it turned red and her eyes rolled back into her head.

She collapsed in cramps and Danny couldn’t breathe. He wouldn’t have recognized her if it weren’t for the old dress and her hair. The woman in front of him looked like she had walked out of a Jewish concentration camp, she was nothing but a skeleton with dark-grey skin stretched over her bones.

Danny trembled as the five duplicates hooked her up with two machines, placed an IV with a needle in her arm and oxygen mask over her face. Vlad let go of him as they phased her out of the room and Danny fell to his knees.

vHe stared at the green and red stains on the floor, his head spinning.

“You killed her…”

“She will need all my medical expertise, but with time and care she will live,” Vlad ensured and turned human.

He exhaled like he had just taken a huge decision.

“She will live, Daniel.”

“So you can use her?” Danny asked in spite, “so she can be in another prison for the rest of her life? I think she would choose death over that.”

Vlad gave him a sympathetic smile.

“She will be fine, little badger,” he reassured and patted Danny shoulder. Danny lashed out to hit him, but it was only halfhearted. He had no powers and no will to fight.

Vlad left him in the destroyed room and the raven hair teen felt his and the weak signature of Arianna, disappear into nothing. It felt like hours before he managed to picked up his phone. Sam took it after the first dial.

“Sam…I've done something horrible…”

-

His parents had bought the whole ‘a ghost did it’ story the second they saw the ecto-marks on the walls and floor and had taken care of the firetruck and police that showed up, due to the alarm from the security system.

Danny had left and Sam had helped him sneak into her room, while they contacted Tucker. Jazz was on the phone and promised to be there as fast as she could.

He had told Sam everything and sat on her bed, while she explained it to Tucker and they started making a rescue plan. Danny didn’t really listen, his mind was one big mess and the pictures of Arianna’s true form, had burned themselves into the backside of his eyelids.

She had been a living corps and they haven’t known. How could they have known?

He should have known. He should have done something. Anything.

His fist clenched his leg and his teeth started making crunching sounds, as he jaws clenched. He stopped when his fingers got to his pocket and felt a lump. He pulled the item out. It was the little USB-stick that Ariana had given him for Christmas.

Danny ran his thumb over it, she had told him to open it when he got the time. Danny knew it was stupid, but turned to Tucker anyway.

“Tucker. Your PDA.”

“Sure man, got something?”

The both sat beside him as he didn’t answer and placed the stick in the slot. They all sat in silent surprised as the single file on the stick turned out to be a profile. A ghost profile. Danny didn’t know if he should smile or destroy the stick.

She had made her own ghost file for his collection of ghost profiles and even added two pictures – one in profile as Arianna and one of her face as Nightshade.

 

_Name: Nightshade (alias: Arianna Vølver)_

_Type: halfa, ghost-hybrid, half-ghost_

_Status: allied with Danny Phantom (always <3)_

_Known powers: …._

 

Danny closed the PDA. Couldn’t read it to the end.

He, Sam and Tucker watched as the first light appeared outside the window and cast its long golden spots on the walls.

“What now?” Tucker asked quietly. Danny rose from the bed.

“We save her. Again.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay put for the sequel "what we found in the green sphere" part two of "the halfa family"  
> Look forward to post it february 3th :D
> 
> * * *

**Author's Note:**

>  ~~I will post every tenth day now - or flatline trying!!!!~~  
>  I will post every friday now =D


End file.
